


Love Amidst The Grief

by orphan_account



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien-centric, Adrinette, Angst, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, LadyNoir - Freeform, Poor Adrien, adrien turns to the dark side
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-04 03:46:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 64,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12160902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When Ladybug accidentally destroys a part of Adrien's life, its up to her to stop Adrien from making a grave mistake and give him the one thing he has always wanted, love.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic ever. I never wrote anything before so I hope you guys like it!

All it took was one moment, one blinding flash of light, and his life was changed forever.

His day had started off pretty normal. At least as normal as it can be for a superhero teenager whose schedule was filled to the brim with photo shoots, school, extra-curriculars, fencing, piano etc etc.

“Plagg! Wake up!” Adrien yelled as he shook his kwami awake from his slumber.

“Already? Geez kid, it’s barely 6!” Plagg hissed, “This is cruel! You humans might be able to survive on no sleep but a kwami needs his cat nap!”

“Stop whining Plagg, you can sleep as much as you want in my backpack,” Adrien said as he gave his kwami some camembert. “Here eat up, we’re leaving for my photo shoot in 10 minutes. I wanna be prepared in case there’s an Akuma”.

 

 

“Woah dude! Let me guess, another early morning photo shoot?” Nino mentioned seeing how sleepy his best friend was as he entered their morning class.

“Yeah,” Adrien mumbled as he desperately tried not collapse his head onto his table and take a quick nap. How he was going to make it through this day, only god knew.

“You do realize,” Nino said as he sat down next to Adrien, “If you know you have a photo shoot in the morning, why don’t you just go to sleep earlier? Like 9 or 10 or something”.

“Sorry Nino, but video games are more important,” Adrien smirked, looking up at his friend to see his reaction.

“Look, you’re my best friend alright?” Nino sighed as he put his hand on top of Adrien’s shoulder. “I just want the best for you. Promise me you’ll get some extra sleep tonight?”

“I promise,” Adrien smiled, putting his own hand above Nino’s.

Nino was a good friend to him, he knew that. But he couldn’t very well tell him that his nightly excursions as Chat Noir were keeping him up at night.

 

 

After school he had his fencing classes. He was getting changed in the locker room when he heard it.

“I AM GARBAGE MAN!” Garbage Man bellowed. “IM TIRED OF YOU KIDS LEAVING LITTER AROUND”.

“Great just what I needed today,” Adrien sighed. “Plagg! Claws Out!

Chat jumped onto the school’s roof and saw Ladybug eyeing the newly developed akuma, possibly looking for his akumatized item. He landed next to her softly, watching as the akuma materialized a garbage bag, which he then threw at a nearby civilian, causing garbage to burst open and spew everywhere.

“It’s pretty ironic isn’t it m’lady?” Chat smirked. “He’s angry because of some litter, yet he’s the one creating garbage and throwing it around”.

“Let’s just stop him before he does some serious harm,” Ladybug demanded as they both took off of the roof.

 

 

A lucky charm and cataclysm later, the akuma was defeated and everything was put back to normal. Well almost everything.

“Goddamnit!” Ladybug yelled at she smelled her arms. She had been hit by a garbage bag during the fight and the smell hadn’t gone away.

“You still smell lovely to me m’lady,” Chat said, smiling as he grabbed her hand to place a kiss atop it.

“Stop it Chat!” Ladybug exclaimed as she yanked her hand back. “I’m not in the mood for you and your stupid flirty advances today”.

Ladybug quickly took off before he had a chance to say anything, leaving him with a frown and worry. He cared for her and wanted to know exactly why she was in a bad mood. But it wouldn’t matter even if he tried asking, as she was quick to shut down any personal questions. Just as she wouldn’t return any flirty remarks he would make. It has been going on like this for 3 years now. But it didn’t matter. He loved her, even if she didn’t feel the same way. He trusted her with his life. If she wanted to remain best friends, then he would take whatever he can get. In a way, she kind of reminded him of his dad, whose love he yearned for and hoped one day it would be returned.

 

 

“Dad! Im home!” Adrien yelled as he entered his house. As usual his greeting went unanswered as it echoed off the cold empty walls.

“Adrien! Quiet down,” Natalie ushered with a finger to her lips. “Your dad’s in a very bad mood today, he won’t leave his office”.

“What’s wrong Natalie?” Adrien asked, “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” she sighed, “Just go to your room”.

Just as Adrien entered his room, his door was flung wide open as Gabriel entered his room was a sheet of paper in his hand.

“Father?” Adrien asked, shocked. His dad would rarely come into his room, most of the time he was told to visit his office to meet him.

“Adrien, I’ve looked over your schedule for the next few weeks and it has come to my attention that you have 3 hours of free time after school on Wednesdays and Fridays,” Gabriel said coldly. “I’ve gone ahead and filled those time slots with some martial arts and extra fencing lessons. That is all.”

Adrien looked over his new schedule his dad handed him. He didn’t want this. He looked forward to that free time to hang out with Nino and his classmates. But if his dad wanted this, then he would make his dad happy.

“Father! Natalie told me you’re in a bad mood, are you okay?” Adrien asked with plea in his eyes. Maybe, just maybe his dad would talk to him about something else other than his studies and activities. Talk to him about his feelings.

“I’m fine Adrien, go back to your studying,” Gabriel replied sternly, as he turned around to head back out the door.

“Father! I love you!” Adrien suddenly blurted out, his eyes scanning his dad’s face hoping for some kind of reaction.

Gabriel glared at him from over his shoulder. His eyes softening for just a fraction of a second, before he closed the door and left.

 

 

“Damnit!” Gabriel screeched as slammed his hands down on his office table.

“Master? Master! Are you alright?” Nooroo asked with worry.

“No!” Gabriel yelled before calming down again. “I can’t do this anymore Nooroo, I need her. I need her back. Now.” Gabriel sighed, rubbing his face up and down with his hands. “Nothing is working Nooroo. The Akumas have been useless against Ladybug and Chat Noir for 3 years. 3 goddamn years!” Gabriel hissed. “Adrien needs his mother, now more than ever. Which is why I’m going to take those miraculous tonight, by myself if I have to.”

 

 

A few hours went by, and it was getting well past his assigned sleeping time. He was still lying on his bed, brooding over the events of today.

“Great, just great!” Adrien yelled into his pillow. “What am I supposed to do now Plagg? I hardly get to hang out with Nino, and now it’s damn near impossible!”

“Yeah, well you can still hang out with your lady friend during night time,” Plagg mumbled while devouring a roll of Camembert. “Speaking of, kid look at the time. Aren’t you late for your patrol?”

“Shit!” Adrien hissed as he eyed his clock. “Plagg! Claws out!”

“Wait NO! Let me finish my camem..” Plagg whined as he got sucked into the ring.

 

 

“Hey Chat!” Ladybug waved as Chat landed beside her. “I thought you weren’t gonna show up cause of earlier today. I’m sorry about that by the way, I shouldn’t have ...”

“It’s ok Ladybug,” Chat told her as he put a finger up to her mouth to silence her. “I know you didn’t mean it.” Chat smiled at her.

She rushed in to hug him. “You’re my best friend you know that?” she told him.

“Yeah I know, you’re my best friend too,” Chat replied, hugging her back. _Yeah just friends_.

“Come on then kitty, let’s start our patrol,” Ladybug said, pulling back from the hug. “Paris isn’t going to protect itself!”

“After you, m’lady,” Chat smirked as she rolled her eyes and slung away.

 

 

Hawkmoth had memorized their usual patrol patterns, after years of watching them through the Ladyblog. Which is why he knew they would end up on the rooftop he had currently laid out a trap on.

Now all he had to do was wait. He had waited for 3 years, he can wait a few more hours. The wait would be worth it, to see the smile on his son’s face, as he went to embrace his mother. The image in his head warmed Hawkmoth up, drawing out a smile on his face that was short lived. No, the time for happiness would come later, right now he needed to be cold to get the job done. And he would be victorious, for his son’s sake.

 

 

“Chat do you see that guy?” Ladybug whispered as Chat was crouched beside her on a platform overlooking the roof Hawkmoth was standing on. “I think that’s Hawkmoth.”

“Paw-lease, m’lady,” Chat whispered back, grinning. “You’ve got to be kitten me. Hawkmoth never shows his face in public.”

Ladybug groaned as she rolled her eyes, ignoring his puns. “Chat this is serious. He looks exactly like the Hawkmoth we saw on the Eiffel tower when we first started this 3 years ago. Either he’s Hawkmoth or an Akuma that has the face of Hawkmoth. Either way, we have to defeat him.”

“I don’t know, I’m not feline very good about this,” Chat sighed with worry.

“Well then stop making puns!” she elbowed him before looking down again. “We go down on my cue, ok?”

 

 

“Ahh, Ladybug and Chat Noir. How nice of you to join me at this late hour,” Hawkmoth said, his hands resting on his cane. “I believe we’ve never been properly introduced, I’m Hawkmoth.”

“Hawkmoth!” Ladybug grimaced. “So it is you.”

“We’re going to put an end to you and your crimes once and for all Hawkmoth!” Chat yelled with anger.

“We’ll see about that!” Hawkmoth chuckled as he brought out a remote and pressed a button. In an instant, 4 turrets had sprung out of the roof, surrounding the superhero duo.

“LADYBUG!” Chat yelled before Ladybug could react. He grabbed her and threw himself over her body, falling down as he shielded her from the volley of darts firing from the turrets. Eventually, the turrets stopped, having run out of darts.

“Chat?” Ladybug whispered as she opened her eyes, softly staring up at her partner as he was having trouble keeping his eyes open.

“Chat!” Ladybug yelled in fear, as Chat’s body suddenly went limp and he fell on top of her.

“Hmmm, I guess should have expected him to save you like that,” Hawkmoth smiled as he stood over Chat’s limp body. He kicked the body over sideways to reveal Ladybug underneath. “No matter, with Chat Noir out of commission, you stand no chance against me.”

Crouching down so he was closer to Ladybug, he extended his hand, “Now be a good bug and give me your miraculous.”

“What did you do to him?” Ladybug sobbed with watery tears threatening to roll down her cheek. She looked up at Hawkmoth, with fear and guilt. Unable to do anything as images of her dead partner assaulted her mind.

“Nothing, he’s merely unconscious, for now,” Hawkmoth replied extending his hands farther. “You cannot beat me alone without your partner so I ask again. Give. Me. Your. Miraculous!”

Upon hearing that her partner was going to be ok, she quickly sniffled back her tears. Fear turning into anger. “NEVER!” She yelled as she brought her legs in and kicked Hawkmoth away from her. She rolled over to Chats side and stood up, twirling her yo-yo.

There was anger and determination in her eyes now and Hawkmoth knew he’d have to resort to hurting her to get what he needed. He didn’t plan on things happening this way. Had Chat not been reckless, they both would have been hit by darts and out cold, allowing Hawkmoth to take their miraculous with ease and leave them be. But it was too late now. He asked nicely and she didn’t budge. It was too late to turn back now.

“I will take your miraculous!” Hawkmoth yelled at her, as he unsheathed the fencing sword hidden in his cane. “One way or another”.

She quickly found that her yo-yo was not good enough to deal with Hawkmoth’s sword. Every time she attacked with her yo-yo, he quickly deflected and gained ground on her. Eyeing Chat’s body, she rolled over to him and grabbed his baton.

“Hmmph,” Hawkmoth smirked. “Give up Ladybug, you can’t beat me, no matter what weapon you use!”

He was right, though it was easier fighting with the baton, not knowing how to extend it caused her only to be stuck defending herself. Hawkmoth pushed and pushed, angrily striking her. He was so close now, so close. He just needed to beat her, to take her miraculous. After that plucking Chat’s miraculous from his body would be easy, and then his dreams would come true.

Ladybug stumbled backwards yet again, after deflecting another one of Hawkmoth’s blows. She was getting dangerously close to the roof’s edge now. She needed to cast her Lucky Charm, before it was too late. She looked for an opening in Hawkmoth’s attacks. She saw it, for a brief second, but she took it. Summoning all her power, she kicked him in the stomach as hard as she can, causing him to fall backwards giving her time to cast Lucky Charm.

As Hawkmoth recovered, he saw a longsword gently drop onto her hands.

“You think you can beat me with that Ladybug,” he spat at her as she took the swords in her hands, ready to attack. “You can come and try.”

Ladybug knew she had limited time now so she had no time to defend. She needed to knock Hawkmoth’s rapier out from his hands and retrieve his miraculous brooch. As skilled as Hawkmoth was with his rapier, Ladybugs sheer force and reach with her longsword was proving difficult for him to handle.

Now the tables were turned, Ladybug striked again and again, putting all her anger, all her fury into each blow, while Hawkmoth struggled to parry.

“Dammnit,” he cried to himself. “It can’t end like this”.

Unbeknownst to the fighting duo, Chat began to stir. The dart should have knocked him out for hours, but his miraculous healing must have helped him recover much faster. He slowly raised his head, glaring at the fight. He was positioned behind Hawkmoth now, and he can see the raw anger in Ladybug as she struck down again and again on Hawkmoth. She wasn’t looking his way, determined to beat Hawkmoth. Chat noticed that Hawkmoth was getting closer and closer to him with each blow Ladybug made. And so, with his full strength returning, Chat made a plan. He waited, pretending to be unconscious while Hawkmoth came closer and closer.

As soon as Hawkmoth took another step back and his foot collided with Chat’s head, Chat rose quickly and suddenly. Hawkmoth was taken by surprise as was Ladybug. She was mid-swing, bringing her sword down on Hawkmoth, expecting him to parry as he’d done dozen times before. But her eyes weren’t on Hawkmoth, they were on Chat. But Chat didn’t notice, he went for the brooch on Hawkmoth’s chest and ripped it out. An intense blinding purple light illuminated the night air, causing all 3 to shut their eyes.

When they opened their eyes, Hawkmoth was gone. Instead stood Gabriel Agreste, with a sword through his chest, and blood dripping from his mouth. He fell down onto his knees, before collapsing beside Chat’s feet.

Ladybug was in pure shock and horror. Her mouth was open but no words came out as she watched Chat kneel down beside Gabriel. She can still fix this right? After all, Ladybug always put things back to normal after an Akuma attack. But she knew this wasn’t an Akuma. She quickly went over to Chat and removed the sword, earning a cry from Gabriel while she did so.

With her hands trembling she barely managed to throw the sword in the air and call out her Miraculous Ladybug. But aside her yo-yo, no butterflies came. She looked down again, at Chat’s back, as he quietly picked up Gabriel’s body in his arms. This was real, this is real and she did this. The reality of it finally hitting her as tears threatened to roll down her cheeks.

“Chat, o-oh my god. W-hat... what have I done,” she barely managed to speak while sobbing. She ran over to Chat and put her arms around his chest, hugging him from behind and put her face on his shoulders. Chat remained quiet.

“Chat, what do we do now?” she cried, tears slipping down from her face onto his shoulders. “I, I don’t know what to do Chat, I’m so, so scared.” She ignored the beeping from her earrings as she tightened her hug on Chat.

“Leave,” Chat replied so coldly and emotionless, it made her flinch and she let go of Chat, stumbling backwards.

“Chat? Wha...”

He quickly turned his face to look at Ladybug over his shoulder. This time his face was pure anger and a hint of sadness. She never saw him like this before, ever. Not even when an Akuma attacked her, or civilians. But then again an Akuma never hurt some as much as this before.

“I SAID LEAVE! NOW!” he yelled at her causing her to flinch again, before turning his face back and jumping away with Gabriel’s body in his arms.

Ladybug stood still, confused and shocked at Chat’s words. The face he gave her burned in her mind. Only another beeping of the earrings and the threat of de-transforming causing her to eventually make her way back to her room, barely making it in time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel has a father to son talk, Nino tries to be a good friend and Ladybug apologizes to Adrien.

Chat ran faster than he ever had before. He wasn’t crying, no. He had no time for that. He had to get back to the nearest hospital. Everything else could be sorted out later. He wasn’t carrying Hawkmoth in his arms, it was his dad. The only person left in his life who cared for him. Who loved him.

No he doesn’t, he told himself. All his dad ever did was neglect him and fill his life with work to keep him from making friends. He never treated him as a son, but as an employee. And now he’s Hawkmoth? Of course he is, who else could be so cold and cruel.

No, stop it, he cried internally. His dad loves him, he does. There must be a reason for all of this. No way his dad could be the villain he is, there must be something making him do this.

“Put me down,” Gabriel barely wheezed out. “You can’t save me, just tell my son I love him, please.”

At his words Chat suddenly dropped. Kneeling, he placed Gabriel down on ground he was running on and dropped his transformation. Plagg tapped his shoulder wandered off to give his chosen some privacy.

“Father!” Adrien cried out, his eyes suddenly full of tears. He hugged his dad and put his face next to his. “I’m so sorry, this is all my fault.”

Gabriel’s eyes widened with realization. “Adrien? All this time?”

“Everything will be ok father! I promise! I will get you the help you need!” he cried out, sniffling back tears. “Plagg! Claws...”

“NO!” Gabriel screamed in pain. “Adrien, there’s not enough time, I need to tell you, tell you why.”

“Father, it can wait, please. I ...” Adrien sobbed.

“Listen, son, when your mother died, I fell into a dark place. I looked everywhere for answers, and I finally found them, in the butterfly miraculous.” Gabriel coughed up blood, struggling to keep talking. “Adrien, when you combine your ring with Ladybug’s earrings you can do almost anything. I wanted to bring her back, back into our home. Now you have to do it. Bring your mom back Adrien, you need her more than me.”

“Father I, I don’t understand,” Adrien was holding his dad’s hands in his own now, wiping away tears as they came. “I can’t father, I...”

Gabriel coughed up more blood and it was apparent to both of them that their time was short.

“I’m sorry Adrien,” Gabriel spoke softly, removing his hand from Adrien’s and cupping his cheek, wiping away a tear.

“I’m sorry for pushing you away all this time, I was too scared to love you. I wanted you to be strong, ready to defend yourself at anytime. I realize now my way was wrong,” Gabriel coughed up so more, the pain to speak becoming too much now.

“Father,” Adrien sobbed clenching his eyes closed, “please don’t leave me.”

“Bring your mother home, Adrien,” Gabriel wheezed, life almost gone from his body. With all the strength he had left in his body, Gabriel rose his face up to meet Adrien’s and plant a kiss on his cheek.

“I... love... you,” he croaked, before falling back down, lifeless.

“AAAAUUUGGHH...”Adrien yelled at the top of his lungs before collapsing his face onto his dad’s bloody chest. Crying his heart out until no more tears were left.

 

 

He sat in his room watching the news. Ladybug was going to show up any moment to speak to the press about Hawkmoth. Most people already had put two and two together and realized that Gabriel’s death and Hawkmoth’s defeat couldn’t be mere coincidence. But they had yet to confirm it.

The official story regarding his dad was that Chat had dropped inside his room with his dad’s body and left. All he had to do was tell the authorities that and put on a show. Anything else regarding what happened would be Chat’s problem, not Adrien’s. He stared at the tv screen, waiting, with an expressionless face.

 

 

“Are you sure about this babe?” Alya asked Nino. She was worried about him getting caught.

“Alya, it’s been two days, he hasn’t come to school and ignored all my calls and texts,” Nino sighed. “He needs me now more than ever.”

“Just be careful okay,” she kissed her boyfriend on the cheek before watching him climb the fence surrounding Adrien’s house.

Adrien had told Nino how to sneak in to his room, by avoiding the cameras and what path to take. He had only done this a few times over the years, when Adrien was feeling especially sad or his dad had grounded him for whatever reason.

“I’m coming bro,” Nino whispered to himself, as he ducked underneath another camera.

 

 

Plagg was being uncharacteristically quiet as of late, giving his chosen some respect. He sat on Adrien’s shoulder, simultaneously eating camembert as well as giving Adrien some comfort.

“She might not show up kid,” Plagg mumbled. “I mean after all that happened, I wouldn’t be surprised if ...”

He was cut out as Ladybug landed on the podium and the camera turned on her. She looked calm and composed, but Adrien knew that was just an act. He knew because he can barely make out the red, puffy eyes beneath her mask.

“Citizens of Paris, I’m here today to confirm that Hawkmoth indeed has been defeated. Chat Noir and I engaged him in combat 2 nights ago, during which Chat Noir managed to remove his miraculous and we,” Ladybug paused, trying to find her words and regain her composure. “We killed him, by accident.” She looked away before looking back to the cameras. “It was then he was revealed to be none other than Gabriel Agreste. Chat Noir picked up his body, and I believe you know the rest.” Ladybug nodded before swinging away leaving reporters scrambling.

 _‘Hmmp, how convenient. Leaving out the part where SHE killed Hawkmoth’_ He thought to himself. No, what is he thinking, she was right. _THEY_ killed him. If it wasn’t for his stupid plan, Hawkmoth wouldn’t have been surprised and been able to defend himself.

_‘Yes, BUT, whether you had went for Hawkmoth’s miraculous or not, she was still the one swinging the sword’_

KNOCK ........ KNOCK

Adrien, suddenly jolted from his thoughts, looked towards the window, just in time to see another rock hurling towards it. Nino? Great just what he needed. What was he here to do? Yell at him? Blame him for his dad being Hawkmoth, since Nino had been an akuma once.

Adrien walked over to the balcony, looking down at Nino.

“What do you want?” Adrien asked sternly.

“Bro, throw down your ladder, let me up!” Nino yelled. “I wanna talk.”

Of course Nino wants to talk. Nino was a good friend, he would never blame him for his father’s actions. But he didn’t want to talk to Nino. Hear his words of pity, he had heard them enough from people who he had never met before, yet they acted like they cared for him.

_‘Isn’t that why Nino’s friends with you in the first place? He took pity on you during the first day of class, pity that you had no friends.’_

“Go away Nino,” Adrien yelled. “I don’t want to talk to you”. Adrien glared at him before turning away.

“Adrien!” Nino shouted. “ADRIEN!!” His shouts went unheard as soon as Adrien closed his balcony door.

KNOCK.......KNOCK.......KNOCK

The absence of a fourth rock hitting his window confirmed that Nino had given up and left him well alone.

_‘3 rocks, that’s all your friendship is worth to him.’_

 

The next day at school, Alya was telling Marinette about Nino and how Adrien had shut him out. She knew she had to eventually go to Adrien and apologize as Ladybug. It was the right thing to do. But now she was even more determined.

 

 

Plagg was watching his chosen idly staring at nothing. He was watching tv but Plagg knew he really wasn’t. He had to do something to help.

“Adrien, I ...” Plagg suddenly went silent, his eyes widening before he zipped away to hide somewhere.

“Plagg? What...” Adrien inquired before he heard her. She touched down on his balcony and knocked on his window.

Adrien stared at her, dumbfounded, his eyes wide. His carefully crafted face threatening to be undone as emotions filled him. He hadn’t seen her since that night, and now here she was before him, while he was Adrien nonetheless. He wasn’t ready. He didn’t know how he still felt about her. So he did what he knew, and pretended to be a grieving son, and nothing more.

Allowing a few tears to flow down his face, he carefully opened the door and allowed her to step in.

“What are you doing here?” he asked staring directly at her eyes, with a frown on his face.

“I... I came to,” she couldn’t look him in the eyes, instead staring down at her feet. “I’m sorry, so sorry.”

Her body shook as she tried not to cry. She wrapped her arms around herself, “I lied to everyone, I killed your dad,” she sniffed. “I’m so sorry Adrien, but you deserved the truth.”

_‘Oh? But I already know, liar’_

Ladybug was stuttering now, apologizing profusely and looking anywhere but directly at Adrien. But it didn’t matter, Adrien was staring off into the night behind her, replaying the memories of that night. The memories of his dad, what he had said to him. His last dying wish. Adrien stared back at her, the tears rolling from her cheeks. His own tears had long gone. His gaze wandered from her eyes, to her cheeks to her ears.

_‘Her miraculous. Its right there’_

“It’s ok!” he quickly blurted out, startling her out of whatever she was currently saying. “I forgive you Ladybug.” He said as he rushed in to hug her.

Taken back by shock, it took her some time to recover before returning the hug, placing one had behind Adrien’s head, while the other wiped away her tears.

“Adrien,” she spoke softly, “if there’s anything you need, I’ll always be here for you.” She sniffed again, tightening her hug.

“Well,” Adrien replied, eyeing the earring within the corner of his eyes. “There is one thing you can do for me,” he smirked as his hand wandered up from her back to her ear. Adrien’s hand no sooner brushed her earlobe, when they heard a crash from behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look forward to another soon update ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg confronts Adrien, Adrien knows what he has to do.

_CRASH_

Both Adrien and Ladybug stepped away from each other, startled. They looked to the source of the sound, and found that Adrien’s tv had fallen over and crashed on the floor.

“Sorry about your tv,” Ladybug pouted, dropping her arms to her side. Her face was flushed now due to earlier. Marinette had managed to stop stuttering around Adrien some months ago and they were now friends through Nino. But she never had such physical contact with him before. Well, technically he hugged Ladybug, but still.

“So, um, what did you need again?” Ladybug asked shyly, remembering Adrien’s words from earlier. She was now staring at his back, as he was turned around, glaring at the tv.

“Nothing, nvm,” Adrien replied without turning to look at her. “Thanks for coming, Ladybug.”

“Uh yeah, it’s the least I can do,” she flinched. “Again, I’m sorry, Adrien.” She dropped her gaze and walked towards the balcony.

“You should talk to your friends Nino and,” Ladybug paused as she opened the balcony door, “and Marinette. They’re good and caring people. They care for you.” She looked at Adrien to see his reaction but he was still staring at the fallen tv, his back to her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered to herself, before swinging off into the night.

Sensing Ladybug was gone, Plagg came out from hiding.

“Alright kid, you better start explaining right now!” he shrieked at Adrien. Hovering over in front of his face. Adrien startled at his Kwami’s anger, stepped backwards, trying to get away from Plagg.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Plagg,” Adrien replied, keeping his cool and trying to be convincing. No way his Kwami saw him going for Ladybug’s miraculous, did he?

Plagg zipped closer to Adrien’s face, anger clearly visible through the otherwise calm and lazy Kwami. “Are you KIDDING me?” he yelled at his chosen. “I saw you going for her miraculous. If I hadn’t knocked that tv over in time...”

“Oh so _you’re_ the one who caused that,” Adrien interrupted, changing the topic. He turned around, and started walking away from Plagg. His voice still calm and collected. “Plagg, that tv cost like...”

“OH NO!” Plagg hissed as he zipped his way back around Adrien’s face. His eyes suddenly widened in realization. “Your dad,” Plagg whispered, “What did your dad say to you that night?”

“Nothing,” Adrien lied looking his Kwami in the eyes before turning away again.

“No, you’re lying,” Plagg frowned. Worry now etched across his face, displacing the anger. “I knew I shouldn’t have left you alone with him. He said something to you didn’t he? That’s why you tried to snatch her miraculous?” Plagg asked curiously. “Your dad was a villain, Adrien,” Plagg sternly told him. “Are you going to become one too?”

_‘You really going to let him talk to you like that?’_

That was the last straw, Adrien lost his cool. With anger now on his face, he suddenly jerked his head to look his Kawmi in his narrow, green eyes.

“A _villain?_ ” Adrien screeched, causing Plagg to flinch at his sudden outburst. “How dare you?” Adrien shouted as he swatted his Kwami, making him fly across the room. Plagg was scared now, his chosen had never hit him like this before.

“Yeah sure, father terrorized the city of Paris for years,” Adrien told Plagg, his voice quieter, but still booming across his empty room. “But he did it for her! He just wanted to bring her back, FOR ME!” he yelled again, before sobbing. In no time at all, tears were rolling down his cheeks.

“Adrien..” Plagg said tenderly as he floated closer to Adrien.

“He never hurt anyone, not really,” Adrien weeped, looking down at the floor, while wiping his tears. “No one died, no one got seriously hurt. He gave us every opportunity to surrender ourselves. If we just did, maybe, just maybe, I’d have her back, and father,” he sniveled, “my father wouldn’t be so cold anymore. He’d be back to normal, we would’ve been normal again. We _can_ be normal again.” Adrien’s eyes widened with hope. A smile slowly working its way across his face.

_‘Yes, father said the miraculous combined can do anything, including bringing back our mother. So why can’t it bring them both back? Our parents don’t have to stay dead, you can bring them back. You can be whole again. You can be happy again. You can be loved again.’_

Plagg was horrified at Adrien’s words. “Listen kid, I don’t know what bringing your mother back has to do with wanting Ladybug’s miraculous. Whatever your father said, he’s lying to you!” Plagg tried to reason with Adrien. Hawkmoth was trying to bring their mother back this whole time? What did he mean they can be normal again?

“Adrien!” Plagg pleaded to Adrien who was now ignoring him, staring at his computer. “Why did your dad want yours’ and Ladybugs’ miraculous? Why do _you_ want her miraculous? What does this have to do with your mom?”

Plagg was zipping his way across Adrien’s field of view, but Adrien wasn’t paying attention. He was focused on the Ladyblog, watching as Ladybug was chasing a group of robbers riding an armoured van that was being chased by cops.

_‘This is your chance, Adrien. Bring back our mother and father. Bring our family home.’_

“Plagg, Claws out!” Adrien demanded. His Kwami had to obey, those were the rules.

“Adrien! Please...” his Kwami’s cries went unanswered as he got sucked into the ring.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter soon, I promise it will be longer! ^_^


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybuy and Chat Noir save the day, and Adrien goes back to school.

Chat Noir vaulted across rooftops, keeping an eye on the situation on the streets below him. Several police cars were chasing an armoured van. He watched Ladybug, as she swung from pole to pole, doing her best to keep up with the fast moving cars. He would help her for now, he is still a hero after all, and civilians are in danger. After several minutes of chasing, the van suddenly took a turn into a tight alleyway and stopped. The cops chasing them stopped as well and several officers came out with their weapons drawn and took cover behind the cars, aiming their guns at the van. Ladybug landed between the cops and the van, twirling her yo-yo, waiting for the criminals to make a move. Chat landed beside her, startling her.

“CHAT!” she screamed in surprise, moving in to hug him. “I missed you, where were you the past few days, you didn’t show up for patrol.” She moved out of the hug, looking at him with worry, but also sadness in her eyes.

What was he supposed to tell her? I was wallowing in grief, staying inside all day and ignoring my friends. And now I realized I can bring my parents back by taking your miraculous for a bit, _please_?

“COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!” a cop shouted from behind them through a megaphone, causing the heroes to flinch and palm their ears. “YOUR ARE SURROUNDED AND WE HAVE LADYBUG AND CHAT NOIR TO BACK US UP. YOU HAVE NO WHERE TO GO!”

Everyone turned to look at the van, watching for any reaction. It was too risky for the duo to go near the van first, as the robbers had weapons. Suddenly the van’s front doors opened, 3 robbers hopped out with bags under their arms, running farther down into the alley. Chat acted right away, determined to nab them. Before he got far, the van’s back doors opened, revealing a fourth robber, who was manning a mounted machine gun.

“EAT SHIT PIGS!” the robber beamed with a smirk across his face. The gun slowly starting spinning up, making it apparent to everyone it was going to start firing soon, and Chat was caught right in its path.

“TAKE COVER!” a voice behind them boomed.

“CHAT!” Ladybug yelled as she yo-yo’d him, wrapping him up with no hesitation. She quickly whirled him to her chest, hugging him close as she started twirling her yo-yo, making sure they both were covered behind it. She was just in time, as the gun fired bullets left and right not a moment later.

The robber behind the gun laughed maniacally as he fired. Any bullets that hit Ladybug’s yo-yo instantly dissolved. The ones that did not, hit cars, some found their way into cops who were unlucky to be in its path. The robber had no aim, firing randomly around. He was just a distraction, making time for his buddies to get away.

Chat was frozen. The gun had been pointed right in his face, as the van’s doors swung open. He watched the barrel of the gun start to spin and he had froze. Fear had taken over him, he was going to die, before he brought his parents back. He was going to fail his dad, fail his mom. But then he felt the familiar string of yo-yo wrap around him, and before he knew it he was in her arms, bent into her chest, as her spare arm wrapped around Chat’s back, keeping him in place. He looked up now, at her face. She was staring at the robber behind the gun, with anger written across her face. She was furious, focused on spinning her yo-yo fast enough so no bullets passed through barrier it created.

‘This is the girl you want to hurt, by taking her miraculous?’ he scolded himself. ‘How many times did she save you from harm’s way? How many times did she show you how much she cares for you? How many times did you fall in love with her all over again because of that?’ He looked down at his feet, trying to obscure his shame, as bullets continued to zip around them. But shame was quickly overcome with pain.

_‘But SHE doesn’t love you! She’s just doing her job! She saves everyone else too, you’re nothing special to her. Just another damsel in distress.’_

‘No it’s not true!’. He brought his hands up to head, shaking it as if that would help his inner turmoil.

_‘Take her miraculous!’_

‘No!’

_‘It’s right there!’_

_‘TAKE IT’_

‘NO!’

“Chat?” Ladybug asked softly with worry, tilting his head up with her hands, so she can see his face. Chat quickly put on a neutral face, as he faced her, giving her a small grin.

“I’m fine m’lady, thanks for the rescue,” he whispered removing himself from her grasp, standing up straight. Looking around he saw the minigun had run out of ammo and the cops were apprehending the robber behind it.

Ladybug stared at him, with a frown on her face. She didn’t believe him but the time for that would come later. They had to capture the remaining robbers. Ladybug put her hand on Chat’s shoulders, squeezing it. “We’ll talk after this, ok?” she sighed, giving Chat a worrying smile. Chat nodded before turning away.

“Ladybug! Chat Noir!” a familiar voice yelled from behind them. They turned around to see it was Officer Roger. “The criminals are getting away!”

“Right!” Ladybug nodded, with seriousness in her voice. She looked at her partner. “Let’s go Chat!”

They both jumped onto the nearby roof, running across, following the alleyway the robbers fled into. Ladybug eyed her partner as they ran, Chat was keeping unusually quiet tonight. His mind was elsewhere as he gazed down at the alleyway. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t worry about him now, the time for that would come later. They ran until the alleyway cut off, leading to a huge warehouse. They perched atop the roof, looking for the robbers.

“Chat look!” she whispered loudly, pointing at the car that had now come out from the warehouse. “They’re in there!”

Before Ladybug can say anything more, Chat extended his baton from the roof. After years of experience, he knew exactly how much to extend his baton at what angle to land where he wanted. And right now, he landed right on top of the car that was speeding off into the street behind the warehouse. Ladybug couldn’t swing on to the car, so she gave chase on rooftops yet again, following them. As the car found its way back on the streets, Ladybug started swinging from pole to pole again, catching up to Chat and the robbers. Police cars were now moving towards their area, as she heard their sirens from a distance. She watched as Chat desperately tried to stay on the car by digging his claws into the roof as support.

“CHAT!” she yelled. “Use your cataclysm! On the car!”

Chat looked at her from over the shoulder before smacking his forehead. ‘Of course, why didn’t I think of that earlier’? He was not in his game tonight, he had been so collected before, focused on his mission. He knew what he had to do. Help Ladybug, defeat the robbers, then look for an opening to take her miraculous. But after she saved him, all the feelings for her he tried to bottle up came flooding back. He was doubting himself now, was what he about to do truly right?

‘Focus on the fight in front of you’ he told himself, ‘you’re no good to your parents if you’re dead!’

“CATACLYSM!” he yelled before smashing his hand down onto the roof. The roof of the car quickly dissolved into nothing and Chat fell in on top of the 2 robbers sitting in the back. The robbers cursed and tried to fight him, but Chat was too strong in his suit. He kicked one of the robbers out of the car as the cataclysm worked its way down, dissolving the doors. The other robber had a hold around Chat’s neck.

“What the hell!” the driver yelled in confusion as his steering wheel vanished, making the car lose control. Ladybug watched as what was left of the car swerved onto an abandoned building, crashing through the window, throwing Chat and the 2 robbers farther into the dark building.

“CHAT!” Ladybug screamed as swung through the broken window, just as Cataclysm worked its way down to the wheels of the car, leaving no sign of any car a moment later.

Ladybug stood and waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, observing that the bags of money, as well as various other items such as guns, that the cataclysm didn’t destroy, were scattered about in the room. She then noticed a man by the door, knocked out. She heard sirens behind her as the police finally caught up. Looking out the destroyed window, she saw the robber Chat had kicked out of the car being dragged into a police car, handcuffed. Knowing the police would take care of the rest, Ladybug went farther into the building to search for Chat.

“WHERE ARE YOU!” Chat growled, frantically looking around the room on the second floor he chased the robber to. He thanked his night vision for being able to keep up with the robber, as he can see as if it was daytime. Chat wandered into yet another room, finding the duffle bag of money the robber had been carrying lain across the floor. Chat crouched to get a better look before being startled as a door to his left opened up. He stood up defensively before calming down, it was just his lady come to help him. But that’s when he noticed she wasn’t looking at him but behind him. The next few seconds happened in a blur.

“CHAT!” he heard Ladybug screech, as she dove at him. What he heard next was a bullet shot, as he fell backwards, with Ladybug on top of him.

“Nnnnghhhh,” Ladybug grunted in pain as she sat up, with a hand over her shoulder that was bleeding. Her eyes were closed and she was trying not to cry.

Chat looked at the blood and his eyes widened in fury, anger taking over him. He heard the robber walking towards them, he saw his gun lowering, taking aim again at them.

Chat didn’t hesitate, he quickly threw his baton, just as the robber was about to pull the trigger, knocking the gun out from his hands.

“Fuck!” the robber exclaimed. Chat got up and quickly punched the guy in his chest, before he can react, causing him to fly backwards hitting the wall behind him. The robber grunted in pain. Chat ran over to him and grabbed his throat with his claws, picking him and pinning him against the wall. With his other hand, Chat repeatedly punched the guy where ever he could.

“HOW DARE YOU HURT HER!” he growled over the sounds of bones and ribs breaking as well as his ring beeping.

‘Hypocrite.’

Chat froze, mid strike. ‘Hypocrite, you came out today to do the same thing. You were gonna hurt her by taking her miraculous.’

_‘No this man physically hurt her, made her bleed. You wouldn’t do that, at worst, she would’ve cried, but she would’ve been ok, physically.’_

‘So you’re okay with hurting her emotionally, but not physically? Which is worse?’

A hand on his shoulder jolted him out of his thoughts.

“Chat,” Ladybug whispered softly to him, pain still evident in her words. “Let him go, Chat.”

He let go of the guy’s throat, making him fall down onto the ground, unconscious. He turned around and stared at her shoulder in sadness. “Your shoulder”, he pointed, “I’m sorry, this is all my fault.” He frowned, looking down.

“Chat,” she spoke softly, lifting his chin up with her finger. Looking into his eyes, she smiled, “it’s ok I’ll be fine. Watch.” She threw her yo-yo into the air calling for her miraculous ladybug. A wave of ladybug’s washed over the city, fixing all damaged property and healing any one hurt by the robbers. Chat watched as Ladybug’s shoulder healed, fixing her wound and cleaning up the blood that had stained her suit.

“See?” she gleamed, “I’m fine.”

"But...how?"

"I had a long talk with Ti-my Kwami," Ladybug turned away. "If I focus harder, and use more energy, I can fix non-Akuma attacks." Ladybug rubbed her temple as she sighed, "If only I knew earlier, but it didn't matter then, since only Akuma's caused real damage."

"It's ok," Chat smiled at her as he turned away, picking up his baton. With his ring beeping a final time, Chat turned to leave through a nearby window, before Ladybug grabbed his arm.

“Wait!” she yelled, Chat didn’t turn back to look at her, as he paused midway through the window. “Show up for patrol tomorrow ok? It’s been lonely without you the past few days. After everything that happened with Hawkmoth, I think we need each other now more than ever, you know as support.” She paused considering her next words, as Chat’s ring started beeping faster. “I need you Chaton,” she sobbed, “and I know you need me too. So, please?” Chat continued to stare out the window, not looking back. He shook his hands away from Ladybug’s grasp and vaulted onto the nearby roof, immediately emitting a green flash of light. The police had come into the building now and Ladybug had just enough time left on her earrings to deal with the aftermath.

Chat had no sooner landed on the roof beside the abandoned building he was just in as his transformation faded. Plagg flew out and hovered in front of his chosen.

“You didn’t take her miraculous?” Plagg asked curiously.

“Eat up Plagg, quickly!” Adrien demanded, handing his Kwami a roll of camembert from his pocket, ignoring his questions.

“Are you just going to ignore me from now on, kid?” Plagg asked sadly.

Adrien looked to his Kwami, before his face softened. He turned and walked over to the other side of the roof, watching as Ladybug talked to the cops and reporters outside.

“I can’t hurt her Plagg,” Adrien sighed. “I thought I could, but I can’t.” He looked at Plagg once more. “But I also can’t leave my parents. I will bring them back,” Adrien said with determination.

“How?” Plagg asked curiously as he swallowed down the last piece of cheese.

“My dad said if you combine our miraculous together, you can do anything. That’s why he wanted it all this time, to bring back my mother. And now, I’m gonna do the same thing, bring back my parents.” Adrien stated.

“W- WHAT?” Plagg yelled in disbelief. “Listen kid, your dad must’ve been confused or something cause there’s no way that’s true!”

Adrien looked at Plagg, frowning, “I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t belie...WHAT?” Plagg yelled again, causing Adrien to flinch. Plagg was furious now. “YOUR DAD IS JUST A HUMAN, IM A GODDAMN DIETY! YOU BELIEVE HIM OVER...” Plagg yelled before calming down a bit, “over _me?”_

Adrien stared at Plagg. He noted Plagg’s anger, confusion, but now he saw something else. Betrayal. Adrien turned away to look off into the distance, pondering his Kwami’s words. Was Plagg right? Was his dad just mistaken?

_‘No, your dad would never be so dedicated to something if he had a single doubt about being wrong.’_

‘But if anyone would know, it would be Plagg, or Ladybug’s Kwami. They ARE part of the miraculous aren’t they? Surely they would know about its various powers and limitations.’

Plagg watched his chosen, hoping maybe he got through to him, to stop this foolish quest. Adrien needed to deal with his parents’ death, but instead he was convinced that they weren’t gone at all, that he needed to bring them back.

After some moments of silence, Adrien sighed, staring back at his Kwami, “Plagg, claws out.”

 

 

The next morning, Adrien finally woke up for school, getting ready as Plagg watched him.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Plagg asked. There were no Akumas now, as Adrien had the butterfly miraculous, but danger was still everywhere, as evident by last night.

“Of course,” Adrien answered as he filled his Kwami’s hiding spot with cheese.

His decision to go to school was not an easy one. He was in his last year, few months left until graduation, and he would be off to university. He didn’t want to go because he knew half the school would avoid him, or blame him for his dad’s action. And the other half would probably kiss up to him, telling him how sorry they were when they didn’t even know him. He then thought about Nino, guilt washing over him, he needed to make things right with his best friend. Besides that, he didn’t want his parents to come back to see Adrien falling behind on his studies, his dad especially would not be proud of that. He would take the rest of the days off from modeling and whatever else he would have scheduled. His mind was still all over the place from yesterday night. He was conflicted and torn over what course of action to take regarding Ladybug, and he needed time to sort that through. As he left his room, prepared to go to school, he saw men moving things from his dad’s office and bedroom.

“Natalie!” he shouted, startling her, as he came up to her from behind. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Adrien!” she spoke, with surprise. “I was just uh... just emptying your father’s things.”

“Put it back,” he told her harshly. “Put everything back, just as it was.”

Natalie stared at him, shocked, “But Adrien...”

“That’s an order, Natalie!” Adrien demanded sternly.

Natalie gulped, before nodding. She turned back to the men gesturing something as Adrien made his way towards the car waiting for him. He knew he was too harsh on her just now. But he couldn’t very well tell her that his dad was going to come back. And he was, and his dad wouldn’t like it if his things were messed around with.

Adrien’s first few of mintues at school went exactly like he expected. People giving him glares as he walked to his locker. Other people telling him how sorry they were. Girls coming up to him and saying they were there for him if he needed it. Adrien was tired of it all, he just put on his fake model smile and told them what they wanted to hear.

Adrien stood outside his classroom door, hesitant. He could make out Nino, Alya and Marinette already in their seats through the small glass panel on the door, probably joking and laughing about something. As he opened the door, the trio stopped what they were doing and watched him, curiously. Alya and Marinette quickly looked down to their tables, avoiding his gaze, but Nino kept eye contact, and smiled at him. Nino still smiled, even after all the calls and texts he ignored from him. As Adrien sat down, Nino put a gentle, comforting hand on his shoulder. Adrien couldn’t help but return the smile, a genuine one this time.

 

 

The rest of the class went by pretty normally, Nino sliding him notes with jokes as he usually would, while struggling to take down notes and understand the lesson. For a while, Adrien forgot all about his father, and that night, getting carried away with being with his best friend again. Until lunch time that was.

He was sitting where he would normally sit, at the lunch table with Nino, Alya and Marinette. Usually they would all joke and have fun and talk while they ate but this time, Adrien was just listening. He hadn’t talked this entire time, and they were getting worried. Soon Alya and Marinette got up to throw their food away, leaving Nino with Adrien.

“Listen, bro, I never got to say this but...”

Oh god not this again. He just wanted some peace and quiet with his friends. Not more reminders of what happened.

“... but I’m so sorry for your loss.”

His loss, Nino was sorry for his loss. Which made Adrien even more angry. No one understood. No one knew that his dad wasn’t really gone, that he was going to bring him back, along with his mother. Adrien was tired and angry of hearing those words, because it just wasn’t true.

“You know I’m here for you right? If there’s anything you need...”

“Yeah I know,” Adrien scowled getting up from the table with his food. Adrien knew his friend meant well but he just couldn’t be here any longer. “Excuse me,” he muttered as he made his way towards the exit.

Nino was very confused, and scared. He wasn’t trying to offend his friend or anything. He tried to go after Adrien before a familiar hand grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to sit back down. He looked over his shoulder to see Marinette. She had a frown on her face and was looking at Adrien as he exited the lunch room. “I’ll go talk to him,” she mumbled.

“Are you sure? I can come with you,” Nino tried to reason.

“No let her go,” Alya sighed. Nino gulped and stared down at his uneaten food, feeling helpless.

 

 

Adrien had found a secluded area from the school and there he sat down against a tree. He had barely taken two bites of his sandwich before he saw Marinette walking towards him.

‘Great what does she want?’ He looked at her with a slight frown, hoping she might get the message and leave him alone.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” she asked, “I feel like sketching and I like the silence around here.”

“Uhh, yeah, no I don’t mind,” he muttered.

“Great!” she cheered. Adrien looked at her for a brief moment, catching her smiling widely at him. He caught her eyes, and saw slight sadness in them. He looked away, as she sat next to them. Great she felt sad for him too, felt pity.

Adrien continued to eat, watching her curiously through the corner of his eyes, expecting her to state how sorry she was too. She was fumbling with her backpack, before removing a sketchbook and sketching pencil. After setting her backpack aside, she scooted closer to Adrien, touching shoulders.

Adrien froze at the contact, he had never been this close to her before. He had been much more intimate with Ladybug but this was different somehow. He could feel her warmth. He could taste her unique sweet smell that only living in a bakery could produce. He could feel the slight tingle of her hair against his neck, if the wind blew in his direction.

“You okay?” she looked up at him through the corner of her eyes. He realized he had stopped eating and was staring at her hair for a while now, and she must’ve noticed.

“Uh, ye-yeah. I’m g-good,” he stuttered looking away as quick as he could, and resumed eating.

‘Since when did I start to stutter?’

She giggled and leant closer against his shoulder, going back to sketching. Adrien gulped at the added weight, before returning to finish eating his sandwich. He pondered getting up to walk around as he took the last bite from his food, but he couldn’t. He was just too comfortable, and warm. So he decided to just stay, watching her sketch until the bell rang.

 

 

During his car ride home after school, Adrien thought about what he should do regarding Ladybug. What the best course of action would be during today’s patrol. He won’t hurt her, in any way shape or form. But he also needed her miraculous. Adrien was quickly brought out of his thoughts as he passed by a certain bakery that reminded him of earlier today. He remembered her smell, the warmth and the comfort he felt as he sat next to her. He watched her sketch, and for a while all worries left him, as he watched her hands move so elegantly, creating life on a piece of paper. He remembered her smile when she first sat down next to him and when she waved him goodbye after school. For the first time in a long time he found himself smiling, not because he was expected to but because he wanted to. He smiled to himself, no one else would see.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, next update soon ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat confronts Ladybug, and faces the aftermath

Plagg waited, as his chosen lay on his bed staring off into the ceiling above. He had told Adrien several times, after they got home from school, that combining the miraculous would not work. Taking Ladybug’s earrings would not bring his parents back. But Adrien stubbornly chose to ignore him. Now he was stuck, he has to obey Adrien when he calls for his transformation, as much as Plagg doesn’t want to. The time for their patrol was fast approaching and Plagg was scared and anxious.

“What are you planning, kid?” Plagg sighed, as Adrien got up from his bed.

“Plagg, I’m gonna just ask her, ask her to give me her miraculous,” Adrien replied, staring out his window.

Plagg snorted, “And if she doesn’t give it, what then, huh?”

“She will Plagg!” Adrien yelled. “She trusts me. I mean, just look at yesterday, she took a bullet for me. If she’s willingly to die for me, then surely giving me her miraculous would be reasonable for her.” Adrien turned to look at his Kwami.

“I’m gonna tell her the truth, Plagg,” Adrien sighed. “I’ll her her why I need her earrings, and that I’ll return them as soon as my parents are back.” Adrien then walked over to his closet pulling out a blindfold. “Look, I even got this, because I know she doesn’t want to reveal herself. I’ll just blindfold myself when she’s ready, so she won’t have a reason to be worried.”

Plagg watched Adrien as he locked his door, making sure no one would come into his room and find him missing during their patrol. He hoped Adrien’s plan would work. Maybe, just maybe Adrien was right about this. That Ladybug did indeed trust him enough with her own earrings. But even if everything worked out, what would happen afterwards? When Adrien will find out his parents are gone for good, and that the miraculous won’t bring them back. And even then, that was the best case scenario. Worst case, Ladybug doesn’t give over her earrings. And then what? What will Adrien do? How far is Adrien willing to go for this delusional quest? Plagg frowned as Adrien called for his transformation.

 

 

Chat Noir met her at their usual starting spot. He silently landed a few meters behind her, watching her from behind. She must have not heard him, as she continued to sit, legs dangling over the edge of the roof. Her shoulders were hunched, and she sighed as she looked down onto the streets below her.

‘She looks sad, maybe she thought I won’t be showing up again after all,’ Adrien thought.

“Evening, My Lady!” Chat grinned, as she quickly stood up and faced him.

“Chat!” Ladybug exclaimed, “I...uh...”

Chat walked over to her, with a smirk on his face. “What’s the problem, LB? Cat got your tongue?”

Ladybug giggled, “I just missed you is all. I thought you weren’t gonna show up again, especially after yesterday.”

“Right, about that, I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing his neck, “You got hurt trying to save me and...”

Chat was interrupted as Ladybug rushed in to hug him. “Don’t be, okay? I’m just glad you’re safe, and that you’re here now.” She pulled back, smiling at him. A smile that was all too familiar.

“Right,” Chat coughed, looking away. “Let’s start our paw-trol, shall we?” he grinned, as she rolled her eyes at the pun.

 

 

They ran across rooftops, racing each other, exchanging casual banter. They were their usual selves now, and for a moment, they forgot all about their problems. They made their way to the Eiffel tower, their stopping point.

“I win,” Ladybug pointed out smugly, folding her arms. Chat had just landed beside her, panting for air.

“No fair!” he exclaimed. “You took off right away after we dealt with that mugger back there!”

Ladybug shrugged. “Not my fault you stayed around to make sure he was ok,” Ladybug replied as she sat down, overlooking the city.

“Oh? I’m sorry for making sure we didn’t accidently kill someone for committing a petty crime,” Chat pouted, as he sat down next to her.

Ladybug giggled, bumping his shoulder with her own. “I missed this,” she frowned. “After everything with Hawkmoth, this past week was hard, especially with no one to talk to about it.” She looked over to Chat, who looked away guiltily.

“I’m sorry,” Chat said softly, “I... uh, was having some problems of my own.”

Chat stared as Ladybug took his hand into her own, “I know,” she smiled at him. “I understand.” She squeezed his hand harder, “You know I’m here right? If there’s anything you wanna talk about.”

“I know,” Chat smiled back at her, before removing his hand from hers. They stared at the beautiful city, as they sat in comfortable silence for a while.

“Do you trust me, Ladybug?” Chat questioned, as they both turned to look at each other.

“Of course I do, Chat,” she replied. “I trust you with all I am.”

Ladybug watched as Chat opened and closed his mouth. He was struggling to say something. “Is everything alright?” she asked, curiously.

Chat looked down unable to meet her eyes. Ladybug placed a hand over his cheek, comforting him. He placed his own hand atop hers and looked at her.

“My parents are dead, Ladybug,” he stated. Ladybug froze, before placing her remaining hand on his other cheek.

“Oh Chaton,” she sighed, closing her eyes as tears formed. “I’m so sorry.” Chat watched her, as he leaned his face into her hands. He smiled because she was crying for him, she cared that much for him.

“It’s ok, LB, don’t cry,” Chat chuckled as he wiped away her tears. “Because I’m going to bring them back.”

At those words, Ladybug flinched, bringing her hands to herself. “Wha...what? What do you mean bring them back?” Ladybug asked curiously, confusion written all over her face.

Chat sighed, this was the hard part. This moment would determine everything. He needed to know, once more, that he was on the right track.

“Do you trust me, Ladybug?” he looked at her, waiting in anticipation.

Ladybug was still confused, but she wasn’t confused about her trust in her partner. “Yes.”

Chat smiled as he grabbed her hands, holding them within his own. He looked right into her eyes as he said, “Then I need you to give me your earrings.”

Less than a second later, Ladybug was on her feet, her hand hovering over her yo-yo. “WHAT?” she screeched, as her whole body went tense.

“Calm down, Ladybug, My Lady,” Chat gulped, as he stood up. He stood defensively, with his hands raised, ensuring that he wasn’t going to hurt her.

Ladybug looked at him, before calming down. Her breathing quieted, but her hands still hovering over her yo-yo. “Explain,” she snarled at him.

“Hawkmoth,” Chat said, making Ladybug flinch, “he said combing our miraculous can do anything, including bringing my parents back.”

“And you _believed_ him?” Ladybug retorted.

“I know what it sounds like, LB, I do. But I believe Hawkmoth on this. I mean why else would he have been after our miraculous, right?” Chat tried to reassure her. But it wasn’t working. Ladybug wasn’t just angry, but shocked, confused and worst of all, betrayed. She didn’t say anything, instead tears formed on her face as she continued to look at him.

“Look, I know you don’t want to reveal your identity, so I got this,” he said, removing the blindfold from his pocket. “And I’ll I give your earrings back, I swear. In fact, we can do all this tonight!” Chat beamed with happiness. “You can go hide, while I combine the miraculous and bring my parents back. And when they’re back, I’ll put the blindfold back on, and you can come out and take the earrings back. It’s perfect, right?” Chat smiled at her. Ladybug continued to look at him, wiping her tears away.

Chat’s smile faded as he frowned, “Ladybug?”

Ladybug gave a weak forced smile, “Yeah, Chat,” she sobbed, “sounds great!” She wiped away the rest of her tears, “Put on your blindfold then, don’t want to keep your parents waiting,” she laughed out, a laugh that sounded too painful to be real.

Chat didn’t notice, as he was too happy. This was it; his parents were coming back tonight! He put on his blindfold and extended his hand, waiting for the earrings. Instead of darkness, he saw his parents. Not past memories, but memories to come. His mom cooking for him. Them enjoying a family dinner together. His dad making time off his work, to go to the park with them, to the movies, to a restaurant, anywhere. It didn’t matter where, as long as they were together again. Just him, his mom and his father...

_‘IDIOT’_ Chat flinched at the voice he hadn’t heard from since yesterday.

_‘YOU STUPID IDIOT, YOU’VE BEEN FOOLED’_

Chat quickly removed his blindfold and found himself alone, atop the Eiffel tower. “Ladybug!” Chat asked, looking around the tower.

‘No, no this can’t be, she said she trusted me, she wouldn’t betray me like this!’

“LADYBUG!” Chat yelled louder, vaulting down the tower, to the ground.

‘She probably fell, as she was going to the give me the earrings.’ He tried to reason with himself.

_‘Yeah, have you ever seen Ladybug be THAT careless?’_

‘NO, she wouldn’t...she probably....she couldn’t have....’

“LADYBUG!” Chat yelled as he continued to look for her, vaulting rooftop after rooftop.

_‘Just face it, she tricked you. She betrayed you, she never trusted you at all!’_

‘No she does, she wouldn’t do that.’

_‘Look around you, do you see her, handing her earrings over to? Just face it, she tricked you, you fell for it, and now she’s gone.’_

“NOO!” Chat yelled, as he jumped through an open window into his room. He let go of his transformation as his legs gave out, and he slumped onto the floor, wailing. Plagg flew out, angry at his chosen.

“I told you this would happen!”

_‘She tricked you, she never trusted you at all!’_

‘No, Ladybug isn’t like that...’

“Stupid kid, if you only listened to me and dropped this whole business...”

_‘Ladybug will never give you her earrings now.’_

‘Ladybug still trusts you, you can still make amends...’

“Forget about your parents, Adrien, you can’t bring them back, you need to move on.”

_‘You can still bring them back, just take her earrings, by force!’_

‘No, you can’t hurt Ladybug like that, after all she’s done for you!’

_‘You have no choice, Ladybug made hers, now you have to do what you need to do!’_

‘No...’

_‘Yes...’_

‘NO!’

_‘YES!’_

“KID!”

“SHUT UP!” Adrien screamed, as the voices in his head, coupled with Plaggs’ becoming too much to bear. He pulled his ring out from his finger and threw it across the room, before slamming his fists onto the floor. Plagg suddenly vanished into thin air. He cried in silence now, as tears rolled down his cheek and fell onto the floor, creating a puddle.

After a few moments, Adrien stood back up, drying his tears yet still sobbing as he made his way over to his ring. He crouched down to pick up his ring...

_‘There’s another way.’_ Adrien heard the familiar voice call out, before he touched his ring.

_‘There’s a way where you won’t necessarily have to hurt Ladybug, and still get her earrings.’_ Adrien stood up slowly, as his eyes wandered to the locked box underneath his bed, where the Butterfly brooch remained hidden. He slowly walked over to the box, hesitating at each step he took. He unlocked it with a code, and pulled the drawer out, revealing the brooch.

_‘Bring them home, make this family whole again.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading ^_^


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien becomes Hawkmoth Junior, Marinette and Adrien share a moment

Adrien picked up the Butterfly brooch and stared at it for a long while. His dad used this very same brooch to terrorize Paris by turning victims into Akumas. The very Akumas he and Ladybug fought against. Akumas that did Hawkmoth’s dirty work for him. Until that day Hawkmoth decided to come out of hiding that is.

_‘Put on the brooch, let the Akumas take Ladybug’s miraculous for you.’_

But Adrien couldn’t. He couldn’t let Akumas run around and destroy Paris. Unless, maybe there was a way to control the Akumas...?

_‘Yes, put on the miraculous, and control the Akumas. Force them to behave, so instead of attacking Paris, they go after Ladybug’s earrings only.’_

Yes he could do that, couldn’t he? Make it so the Akumas he would create only went after Ladybug instead of hurting civilians. But that would mean that since Ladybug would fight back, she would most likely end up hurt, if the Akuma was to be successful.

_‘She tricked you and hurt you first, she refused you your parents. She ran away from you.’_

Adrien couldn’t stand to see Ladybug hurt, but his parents.

_‘Who loves you more? Ladybug or your parents?’_

The answer was clear, Ladybug never loved him. She made it clear many times. Sure she was comforting and caring, but so was Nino. That’s what friends did after all, right? Loving someone was more than that, and Adrien knew. Adrien knew that Ladybug would never love him the way his mom or dad did. And so, hesitating, Adrien picked up the brooch, and pinned it on.

Immediately, Hawkmoth’s Kwami materialized in front of him.

“H-Hello...master,” the Kwami spoke.

“Hey,” Adrien replied, inspecting the shy Kwami. “What’s your name?”

“Nooroo,” he answered. “You’re Adrien, right? Gabriel’s son?”

“Yeah,” Adrien said, noticing as the confirmation made Nooroo look down sadly, seeming to wonder something.

“Are you going to follow in your father’s footsteps? To bring back your mom?” Nooro asked curiously.

“Yeah,” Adrien answered, turning to look at his new Kwami. “My dad too.”

Nooroo sighed and looked away, staring out the window. “I told your father this was foolish, that it would never work, but he refused to believe me over that book. Now it seems you’re following in his footsteps. I assume it’s useless to convince you either?” Nooroo pondered sadly.

“What book?” Adrien asked, choosing to ignore his Kwami’s question.

Nooroo sighed, “Follow me, master.”

“Just call me Adrien,” he said as Nooroo hovered into his pants pockets.

“Very well, Adrien.”

Nooroo directed Adrien to his father’s office. “The book that started all of this, its locked away in that drawer,” Nooroo pointed to a hidden drawer hidden the desk.

“Phase in and open it,” Adrien ordered Nooroo. The Kwami hesitated, “What?” Adrien asked.

“Nothing, I just was never allowed to see the book,” Nooroo answered. “But I guess with your father gone, it doesn’t matter anymore.” Nooroo phased into the hidden drawer, opening it with a _click._

Adrien immediately picked up the book and stared at it. It was a small book, with about only 30 or so pages. Adrien flipped through the pages, and immediately frowned. The writing was in a language he didn’t understand. But the pictures were clear. There were several images of different costume styles of only Ladybug and Chat Noir. He’d never seen anything like this. How much did his father know about them and their miraculous?

“Your father found that book during one of his many visits to Tibet. That book, amongst other things,” Nooroo glanced over to his father’s safe.

Adrien was about to ask what Nooroo meant, when his eyes landed on a particular page. This page was different, containing nothing but the same phrase in red, repeated again and again. Nooroo looked at the page and his eyes widened.

“You know what this says?” Adrien realized, looking at Nooroo’s reaction. “What does it say!”

Nooroo looked at Adrien and gulped. “Fusing the miraculous will grant ultimate power.”

A smile stretched across Adrien’s face. He flipped through the rest of the book. “The book only talks about Chat Noir and Ladybug. So it must be talking about combing their miraculous!”

“But...” Nooroo tried to intervene.

“Don’t you see, Nooroo?” Adrien beamed with joy. “My father was right after all! I knew Plagg was wrong!”

“But, Adrien! Ultimate power doesn’t necessarily mean you can bring your parents back. It could mean a million different things!” Nooroo tried to reason with Adrien, who proceeded to ignore him and kept flipping through the remaining pages.

“Adrien!” Nooroo yelled, finally getting Adriens attention.

Adrien closed the book and turned around. The smile still never faded. He grabbed the Kwami out of the air, “Nooroo, take me to my father’s lair, I know he must have one. Teach me how to transform, how to make and control Akumas. Teach me everything!”

“Very well, ma-Adrien,” Nooroo sighed.

 

 

Adrien had stayed up all night, getting only a few hours of sleep, before school. Nooroo had showed him the secret entrance that led to his father’s lair. There was a large pane window and several white butterflies littered across the floor. Adrien had put on his transformation, and took some time getting used to his new suit. He twirled and practiced using his cane as well as the sword hidden inside it. But most of the night he spent trying to create an Akuma by feeding negative energy through it. He kept failing, each time getting closer and closer. It was only when he finally managed to create his first Akuma, that he allowed himself to go to sleep. Nooroo helped purify the Akuma, since it had no target. Tomorrow, Nooroo would teach Adrien how to akumatize someone.

“Here, you can hide in this pocket,” Adrien pointed for Nooroo. “There’s plenty of cheese...” Adrien winced, feeling slight guilt and sadness. He rubbed his neck, “Oh right, you don’t eat cheese, do you? What do you need?”

“I prefer milk chocolate but cheese is fine. Your dad gave me anything that was nearby, so I’m used to eating different things,” Nooroo replied.

Adrien frowned. He never considered how his dad might have treated his Kwami. “I’ll get you plenty of chocolate after school, okay?”

Nooroo smiled as he hid inside Adrien’s backpack, “Okay, thank you.”

 

 

As soon as Adrien stepped out his car and saw Marinette, the events of yesterday came back to him. So much had happened yesterday night that he forgot about the lunch he shared with her. He found himself lost in thoughts, as Nino waved him over to join them while they waited for the bell to ring.

“You’re up early,” Adrien teased Marinette as he approached them by the stairs. Everyone knew by now how late Marinette would come to class, so to see hear early was rare.

“More like the poor girl never slept,” Nino chuckled.

“What were you doing up all night anyways, hmm?” Alya asked her with a speculative gaze.

Adrien turned to look at Marinette, and that’s when he noticed the bags underneath her red, puffy eyes. Wow, she was in worse shape than he was.

“What about Adrien?” she mumbled, avoiding the question. “He doesn’t look like he slept either!”

Nino and Alya turned to look at him. “Let me guess bro, the usual? Staying up all night playing videogames?” Nino mocked him.

Adrien looked away, rubbing his neck, “something like that.”

Nino frowned, not believing him. He opened his mouth, but Alya interrupted him, “So.... we still up for tonight, at Adrien’s?”

“Oh, right, the project! Shit guys I’m sorry, I still haven’t started my part,” Nino sighed.

Alya laughed as she punched Nino’s shoulder, “Relax, I guarantee not one of us has even started yet. Besides we still have 2 weeks to do it, so...,” Alya eyed Marinette who was clearly lost in thought and not part of this conversation. “How about this, my girl needs her sleep, so we’ll meet up at Adrien’s at 6 instead of 4. That way you can get some sleep too, Adrien,” she grinned.

“Uh, yeah sure,” Adrien replied. “I had some stuff to do after school anyways.”

Nino was about to ask what he had to do considering his empty schedule, before the bell rang.

 

 

Adrien sat down next to Marinette during their lunch hour. He had wanted to talk to her, but it was hard when she sat behind him during the one class they shared together during homeroom. Taking advantage of Alya and Nino having their own conversation, he leaned closer to Marinette. She was quietly chewing her food, staring off into the distance.

“You okay?” he whispered to Marinette who didn’t appear to have heard him.

“Marinette?” he whispered louder, still not getting her attention as she continued to stare at nothing. Adrien placed his hand over her shoulder startling her, as she looked at Adrien.

“Huh, what? What’s going?” she flinched.

“Nothing,” Adrien laughed. “I was just wondering if you’re okay?”

Marinette blushed, “Uh, y-yeah I’m... I’m okay.”

Adrien raised his hand off her shoulder and slowly used his thumb to brush the bag under her eye. “You don’t look okay,” he whispered with a serious tone.

Marinette went even redder, and quickly turned her head away from him, looking elsewhere. “I’m okay,” she coughed. “Just tired and sleepy. What about you, you don’t look so good yourself.”

“Well, I guess I’m just tired and sleepy too,” Adrien chuckled.

“Hey Marinette, don’t tell me you believe what Alya’s saying!” Nino called to Marinette, who turned to talk to them across the table.

Adrien briefly looked at her, he knew she was lying, and he wanted to know what was wrong. But they were only friends, right? Was he really in his place to ask such personal questions? Before he could think any further, he was interrupted as Nino pulled him into whatever conversation they were having.

 

 

Adrien was in his father’s secret lair, anxious about what he was about to do. He was transformed now, so Nooroo wasn’t available to help. Nooroo had taught him how to _feel_ angry emotions that lingered throughout the city, and latch onto the strongest one, so he can Akumatize them. Adrien closed his eyes, and felt nothing for a while. Then, all of a sudden, he felt anger and betrayal. He could feel it in words he couldn’t describe, feel it emanating from a certain luxurious restaurant. Adrien closed his eyes, and focused on feeding the white butterfly in his palms, the dark energy. He opened his eyes to see that he was successful in creating the Akuma butterfly. All of a sudden, the huge window in front of him shifted, and opened up in a spiral. The butterfly flew from his hands and out the window. He could feel the butterfly directed towards the restaurant, where the immense anger and betrayal was coming from. He closed his eyes, and focused on the butterfly, feeling it creeping closer and closer. All of sudden, his mind was assaulted with memories. Memories not of him but of his victim. Memories that showed what she had gone through just a few minutes ago. Then he heard her crying, and he realized this was the moment Nooroo told him about. He was telepathically talking to her, and had to convince her to become Akumatized.

“Um, hi, this is Hawkmoth Junior,” he told her. “I see that your husband decided to divorce you on your date because he’s seeing someone else. I will grant you the power to take your revenge on them, but first you must bring me Ladybug’s earrings. Do you accept, Heartbreaker?”

“Yes,” she sobbed. Suddenly, Adrien could see through her eyes. She was in the bathroom, crying to herself on the floor. But a purple mist had begun to creep over her, transforming her into an Akuma. He watched her leave the bathroom, entering the restaurant as startled customers started screaming. She created rosed, that she began to throw like darts to nearby customers.

“STOP!” Adrien flinched. Immediately she was overcome with pain, and she grunted, stopping her attack. “Don’t harm anyone, I’m warning you. Just wait for Ladybug to get there, and then take her earrings.”

“But why can’t I have some fun, while I wait?” she asked, recovering from the pain he inflicted upon her. “All these couples on dates, they’re disgusting.” She grabbed another rose, fixing her gaze on a couple holding hands, cowering behind a table. “He doesn’t love you, you know? He’s just going to cheat, sooner or later!” she yelled at them, as she brought her rose up, aiming for the man.

“I SAID STOP!” Adrien yelled again. He watched the woman grunt in pain again, as she dropped the rose.

“FINE!” Heartbreaker huffed, walking to take a seat at a nearby table. “But after I take Ladybug’s earrings, I AM going to get my revenge on that cheating bastard and his girlfriend.”

“Yeah fine, whatever,” Adrien sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Just wait for Ladybug to show up.”

They waited in silence for Ladybug to show up. Adrien knew Chat wouldn’t come to help Ladybug. He also knew that Ladybug knew Chat had the butterfly miraculous. So how will she react to him as Chat, the next time he saw her. If his Akuma was to be successful in taking her earrings, then he would see her civilian identity. So the next time he would see her as Chat would be after bringing his parents back, when he would return her earrings to her civilian self. Surely then she would understand, that he was right after all. That Chat was sincere in returning her earrings, after his parents were brought back. That if she just didn’t leave him hanging last night, that they could’ve avoided all this mess.

Ladybug ran into the restaurant, where Heartbreaker was patiently waiting. She gestured for all staff and customers still hiding to leave, as Heartbreaker got up, making her way over to Ladybug.

“Ladybug! I am Hearthbreaker! Give me your miraculous so that I can take revenge on the two people who broke my heart!” she demanded.

Ladybug turned around and started twirling her yo-yo. “An Akuma? But I thought we defeated Hawkmoth?” Ladybug asked with confusion.

“I work for Hawkmoth Junior, not Hawkmoth! Now give me your miraculous!” Heartbreaker yelled in impatience.

Adrien watched Ladybug through his Akuma’s eyes. He knew this moment was coming. He watched as her eyes go wide and she stared off into the distance, coming to a stunning realization. Her yo-yo stopped spinning, as her eyes moved back to meet his, or rather Heartbreakers’. “Chat?” she whimpered.

Adrien’s heart hurt at her sadness. He didn’t want it to come to this. Even after everything, he wanted to be there with Ladybug, protect her from his own Akuma. But it was too late, he has no choice but to continue. The least he can do is make sure the Akuma doesn’t hurt her, too much.

He came back from his thoughts just in time to watch Heartbreaker throw more rose darts her way. He saw her evade all the darts, but she was much slower than usual. The last dart barely missing her. He saw his Akuma readying more darts, as Ladybug struggled to get back on her feet.

“No! Don’t hurt her!” Adrien yelled, as the Akuma flinched in pain, dropping all her darts.

“How am I supposed to take her earrings if I can’t hurt her?” Heartbreaker asked in frustration. Ladybug saw the familiar outline of glow around her face, indicating she was talking to Hawkmoth Junior.

“Chat, if you can hear me, stop, please,” she begged. “You’re better than this, this isn’t you!” she yelled at the Akuma.

Heartbreaker’s face glowed again and she looked at Ladybug. “He says he doesn’t want to hurt you, Ladybug. He promises to return your earrings, after he is done with them.”

“You know I can’t do that,” Ladybug sobbed.

“Then he has no choice, Ladybug,” Heartbreaker declared, as she charged after Ladybug, with her fists raised.

Ladybug stood her ground, “Then neither do I.” She wiped her tears and threw her yo-yo, wrapping it around the Akuma’s legs and sent it flying across the other side of the restaurant.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug called out, as Heartbreaker got onto her feet, dazed. A dart landed in her hands. She eyed Heartbreaker and concluded the Akuma must be in her wedding ring, where she previously materialized the rose darts from. As Heartbreaker prepared to charge at Ladybug again, Ladybug threw her dart, striking her ring.

Instantly, Adrien was cut off from his Akuma, and he was back in his room. “Damnit!” Adrien yelled as his hands brushed over his hooded face. Ladybug was weak today, and partnerless. Yet she still managed to defeat his Akuma. All because he wouldn’t let Heartbreaker use her darts. Because he didn’t want to hurt Ladybug too much. Adrien sighed. It doesn’t matter, his dad waited 3 years to bring back his mom, he can wait until an Akuma was successful, without causing Ladybug much harm. He dropped his transformation as he watched a white butterfly fly back in through the window. The window closed, covering the room in darkness. Adrien stepped out, returning to his room, to prepare for his friends.

 

 

Marinette was the first to arrive, playing Ultra Mecha Strike with Adrien while they waited. Adrien had won their first round quite easy, which worried him, he never won to Marinette. He noticed her making her moves slower, clearly she was really tired and hadn’t taken the time after school to nap. A text message from Nino disturbed their second round of the game, putting it on pause.

“It’s Nino,” he said, his eyes still on his phone. “Apparently him and Alya got caught up in the Akuma attack earlier, and they won’t make it.” Adrien pondered. He hadn’t seen them two anywhere through his Akuma. This must’ve been another rouse to get him and Marinette alone. They’ve been doing that a lot lately, but this time it didn’t bother him too much. Not since yesterday when he ate lunch with her. Adrien looked up to Marinette who was also on her phone, frowning, she must’ve gotten a similar message from Alya.

“I could go if you want,” Marinette stood up.

“No!” he quickly grabbed her arm, causing her to look at him. He took his hand away, and rubbed his neck, “I mean, um, stay?” He looked away from her, feeling himself blush. “I’ve been kinda lonely. I could use a friend.”

Marinette looked at him and smiled, sitting down much closer to him than before. “Right, now that your schedule’s empty, you must have a lot of free time.”

Adrien blushed again at the proximity. “Uh, yeah,” he coughed. “I have the whole evening to kick your ass at this game,” he smirked.

Marinette quickly changed her expression to competitive. “Oh yeah?” she said as she grabbed her controller.  “Bring it on blondie!”

Adrien’s remark must’ve caused a second wind in Marinette, as she bounced back with more energy. She defeated him during the second and third round. She was winning the fourth round as well when all of a sudden her in-game mech stopped moving.

“HA! I got you now!” Adrien glee-d, focused on unleashing his combo move. He had defeated her again, but she didn’t make a move to block his attack. He was so intent on winning, he didn’t notice Marinette had drifted off asleep, leaning her head on his shoulder. Adrien squeaked, dropping his controller, as another blush overcame him. He sure was blushing a lot today. He sat still, not sure whether to wake her or not. The warmth emanating from her, doing nothing to calm him down. He closed his eyes and leant back into his couch for a brief second. Remembering the warmth embrace of his mother whenever she hugged him. The warm sun bathing him whenever the three of them used to go the beach. How warm he felt, running around the park playing with his parents.

How warm Marinette felt underneath him, as the pounding on his door woke him up. Adrien flinched, he must’ve fallen asleep and ended up on top of Marinette.

“Adrien! Marinette’s parents are calling, they’re asking when she’s coming home, it’s getting late!” Natalie yelled, pounding on the door.

Adrien slowly raised himself up with his elbows, he was sleeping on her chest. He looked up and came in contact with Marinette’s eyes, she was awake as well. Her face was red hot and she was stunned, looking at Adrien. They stayed, staring at each other. Adrien leaned closer to her face, making her eye’s go wide.

“ADRIEN!” Natalie knocked again. This time, Adrien jumped off the couch.

“O-oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Adrien cringed. “I must’ve fallen asleep, and, uh, I guess I fell on top of you, um,” Adrien muttered.

“It’s okay,” Marinette giggled as she got up.

“ADRIEN!” Natalie yelled again.

“Yeah, we’re coming, Natalie!” Adrien answered back, as Marinette made her way to his bedroom door.

“So, um, goodbye!” she smiled, before opening the door.

“Yeah, see you, tomorrow!” he gulped, watching her close his door.

Adrien collapsed on his bed. But his bed was too cold, his room was too cold, everything was too cold. He wanted her warmth again. He wanted to see her again. Adrien quickly jolted out of his room, running down his stairs.

“MARINETTE!” he yelled at her, watching her pause at the front doors. “Marinette, wait!”

He reached her, standing less than a meter from her. Now he was blushing, brushing his neck with his hands again. “Um, I- I was just wondering...” Adrien mumbled, looking away from her.

“Yeah?” she asked, faintly.

“Uh, just,” Adrien grew nervous. “Would you like to come over again, maybe? Just the two of us, like, to hang out and play games,” Adrien quickly blurted out. He looked at her, her eyes widening. “I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t...”

“No!” she squeaked, “I mean yes. I’d love to hang out, again.”

“Ok, great,” Adrien grinned.

“Yeah, great,” Marinette answered back. They both stared at each other, both blushing profusely, but refusing to leave each other’s company. The silence seemed to stretch on for hours.

“Uhh, see you tomorrow,” Adrien said, breaking eye contact and looking away. He suddenly felt, before he saw, Marinette coming closer, and pressing a kiss on his cheek.

“See you tomorrow, Adrien!” she beamed, before turning around to run out the door. “Goodbye!”

“Goodbye, Marinette,” he whispered to himself, as a hand came up to stroke his cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading ^_^


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new classmate comes to paris, and marinette goes to adrien for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter i've written so far, hope you enjoy.

It had been days since Marinette had kissed him on the cheek. Adrien had that moment carefully visualized and stored in his mind for future use. Which he recalled whenever his Akumas would fail, or he was lonely. Which was a lot now a days. His empty schedule coupled with the fact that his new Kwami, Nooroo, was very quiet all the time, led to many nights where he would ache for Plagg’s company. Adrien looked over to the hidden drawer where his ring was kept. He felt guilty, for shutting his Kwami off like this. Plagg really did care for him. Technically, Plagg was the first friend he ever had, with Marinette being the first human friend.

_‘It has to be this way, Plagg never supported you.’_

Adrien sighed. He had no choice, Plagg was actively against him, claiming he was wrong. But even then, Adrien missed him. Adrien could almost hear Plagg’s teasing when Marinette had kissed him. But then Adrien cringed, he could also hear how Plagg must be disappointed in him becoming just like his dad.

_‘No, you’re not your dad. You never let the Akuma hurt any civilian.’_

That was true, and once he got Ladybug’s earrings and brought his parents back, he would put on the ring once again. Hopefully, Plagg would understand, and forgive him. Adrien looked over to Nooroo, who was gazing out his window, looking at nothing. Adrien wondered if the Kwami was just naturally quiet, or perhaps his father forced him to stay quiet, and he just clung onto the habit.

_BUZZZZZZZ!_

Adrien startled at the sound of his buzzer going off in his room. He remembered he was expecting his friends over again. They had been meeting up often recently to work on their group project. He had never been more thankful for group projects, as they were the reason he would see Marinette again since that day. But he wanted to be with her alone, again. Be close to her again, instead of having Nino or Alya in the way. He knew he loved Ladybug, but he loved his parents more. But now that he had new found feelings for Marinette, how did she compare. Did he love her more than Ladybug? No, Marinette and him must just be getting closer as friends, nothing more. How was it possible for him to love his lady less than someone he had just gotten feelings for less than a week ago? The sound of another buzz, jolted him out of his thoughts. Whatever, he would figure out his feelings later.

 

 

“Aaaaaaannnnnd...” Nino said, as he pulled out a bunch of textbooks and papers from his backpack onto the table, “let the work begin.”

Both Adrien and Marinette groaned as they stared at the work in front of them.

“Hmmph,” Alya smirked. “You mean work for an hour before we start eating and playing video games?”

“That’s not true!” Marinette exclaimed, folding her arms before grinning. “We also watch movies.”

The 4 fell into laughter, and Adrien stared at Marinette. He saw her face light up, eyes closed, and he took in her beautiful smile. Adrien must have been staring for too long because Nino coughed, causing Adrien to turn and lock eyes with him. Nino winked, making Adrien blush and look away.

“S-So, um,” Adrien spoke after they calmed down a bit, “let’s get that hour of working over with, so we can enjoy the rest of the day.”

“Actually, I have to leave early today,” Marinette sighed as the group took their seats. Marinette next to Adrien, with Alya and Nino across them. “I gotta work on that physics assignment due tomorrow.”

“You haven’t finished it?” Alya inquired. “I thought you told me you worked on it yesterday night?”

“Uuuuh,” Marinette tensed up, as if being caught in a lie. “Right! I did, I mean, I’m bad at physics so I wasn’t able to finish it... yesterday night...hahaha,” Marinette let out a nervous laugh as Alya continued to stare at her with narrow eyes.

“Adrien can help you with that,” Nino told her.

“W-What? Me?” Adrien gulped.

“Yeah you,” Nino chuckled, before looking at Marinette. “Dude’s super good at physics. He probably has the best grade in the class.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Adrien said shyly. “But I mean, I’d love to help, that is if Marinette wants it.”

“Yes,” Marinette quickly replied. “I-I do need all the help I can get.”

“Great! It’s settled!” Alya grinned. “Me and Nino had to leave early too, so you guys can have your little physics date when we’re gone.”

“Alya!” Marinette whined, as she crossed her arms. A blush warmed her face and she looked away from the group.

Adrien nervously laughed along with Nino and Alya. He turned to look at his friend, who just stared back and wiggled his eyebrows in a teasing fashion. He really owed his friend this one.

 

 

“...And so by substituting for mass over in this equation you should get your answer,” Adrien directed her.

“Hmmmmm...” Marinette stuck her tongue out, lost in thought. “I think I get it now,” she said, as Adrien watched her work out the answers on the sheet.

She looked really cute, with her sticking her tongue out. Nino and Alya had left some time ago, which Adrien was grateful for. He had told Marinette he wanted to hang out with her alone that night, but they haven’t been able to do that due to the group project. Adrien knew it wasn’t a coincidence that Nino and Alya had to leave early today, they must really want Marinette and him to get together. Adrien smiled at the thought before noticing Marinette had stopped writing and was staring off into the distance. Adrien frowned, he remember just a few days ago where she came to school not looking good. She had told him it was just due to lack of sleep, but was it true?

“You okay?” Adrien put his hand on her shoulder, seemingly startling Marinette.

“Uh, yeah,” she replied before getting back to writing. “Just thinking.”

“Marinette...” Adrien sighed, squeezing her shoulder. Marinette ignored him as she continued working.

Adrien cupped her cheeks with his hands and turned her face to look at him. “Marinette,” he spoke softly, causing Marinette to blush. “I care for you. I want you to tell me what’s wrong. You can trust me. I want to help.”

Marinette placed her hands over his. She didn’t remove his hands, but she did look down, not meeting Adrien’s eyes. She opened and closed her mouth several times, seemingly thinking of what to say. Adrien just stared, giving her time, he would be patient for her.

“Have you ever been betrayed by the very person you once trusted with your life?” she suddenly mumbled, still looking down so she couldn’t see Adrien flinch.

Those words made Adrien recall the exact moment Ladybug abandoned him atop the Eiffel tower. He felt several feelings returning to him but he closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. This wasn’t about him. He wanted to be there for Marinette, especially because now he could understand the pain she had gone through, was going through.

“Who...” he asked as he lifted her chin to look at her but gasped as he saw    her watery eyes. Her eyes widened and she wiped away the tears before they had a chance to come out.

“I should go, mama and papa would be worried,” she sobbed as she got up and put her work back in her bag.

“But, what about your assignment,” Adrien pointed out as he got up with her, desperate to get her to stay. “You’re not done yet!”

“It’s okay, with what you taught me, I should be able to finish easily,” she said, swinging her backpack over her. Marinette turned around, getting ready to leave.

“Marinette, wait!” Adrien yelled as he grabbed her wrist. Marinette suddenly turned around and hugged Adrien, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

“Thank you,” she sighed. She stayed there for a while, as Adrien threw his arms around her back, returning the hug. He squeezed her closer, as her breathing quieted, and she seemed to calm down. She withdrew and leaned up to kiss Adrien on the cheek, again. “I know I said I’d love to hang out, just the two of us and I meant it. I promise we can hang out later okay? ‘Till then, goodnight.” She smiled at him as she turned away again.

“Goodnight!” he yelled after her as she opened his bedroom door to leave. She peaked through the crack in the door and smiled back at him, before closing the door.

Adrien collapsed into the seat behind him, not trusting his legs to keep him up. She had kissed him, again. The first time could’ve been a mistake, a spur of the moment type thing, that she might have regretted later. But a second time? This was no coincidence. She really did like him, as a friend, maybe. Adrien groaned, did she see him as a friend? Maybe, but then again he never saw her kiss Nino, or any other guy she was presumably friends with. Maybe she did like him, as something more. But did he return those feelings? He covered his face with his hands. He was red hot, no matter what he might tell himself about his feelings for her, his body was too honest. No way he was feeling this hot and bothered by a mere kiss for someone who was just a friend. Adrien grinned, which was immediately replaced with worry. She had being feeling what he had been about Ladybug, that’s why she looked so horrible that day. But who could have betrayed her like this? Nino, Alya? No, but those were the only two closest people in her life he could think of to hurt her like this. Unless there was another person in her life no one knew about who she was close to? Relative maybe? Doesn’t matter, Adrien would make them pay for what they did to Marinette. But for now, Adrien sighed, relaxing against his seat as he calmed down and closed his eyes.

_‘Your parents!’_

Adrien stood up and walked over to his computer. He noticed the time on the computer and immediately summoned Nooroo. It was the time Ladybug would be on patrol, and he had an obligation to uphold.

 

 

There was an illegal street boxing fight tournament going on. They had taken the event indoors for tonight, so that they wouldn’t be disturbed by Ladybug on her patrol. The tournament had come down to the two finalists, and by the end of the hour, the winner was decided. The loser was given the silver belt for coming second place. The belt he was now swinging blindly around in rage.

“EVERYONE KNEW HE WAS TAKING STEROIDS,” he shouted through a nearby alleyway, as he knocked over a garbage bin with his belt. “THAT CHEATER!” He was too busy fuming to notice the purple butterfly landing on his belt. Suddenly, there was quiet in the alleyway, before a soft ‘yes’ was heard. The man grew almost twice in size, growing muscles so big, that he looked inhumanely possible. He was only wearing tight boxer shorts, and his now shinier and gold belt was wrapped around his bare waist.

“WHERE IS HE?” he shouted as he barged in through the doors of the makeshift arena that housed the match. There were still spectators and boxers lying around that screamed and ran for the door, calling for help. The Akuma towered over everyone and was about to punch a nearby boxer when the butterfly outline appeared on his face, causing him to stop in his tracks and kneel with pain.

“Don’t hurt anyone!” Adrien exclaimed. “Just wait for Ladybug to show up and then...”

“Let me guess,” Ladybug said as she landed behind the Akuma. “You lost a boxing match and now you’re mad?”

“I AM BRAWLER, AND HE WILL PAY FOR CHEATING,” the Akuma bellowed as he charged Ladybug, who easily rolled out of the way. “But first I must take your miraculous!”

Adrien watched through his Akuma as the fight went on. Ladybug was fast and agile, but Brawler was just too strong. All Ladybug could do was roll and evade his punches. If a single punch was to land, then she would be done for. Adrien felt a bit guilty, but also relief. If any Akuma was to be successful in taking her earrings, this one showed the most promise. Every other Akuma Adrien had thrown out the past few days had some kind of weapon that Adrien forbade them from using. From darts, to magic lasers, to grenades that turned people into sheep, Adrien couldn’t let them use their weapons in case civilians might get hurt. This meant his Akumas could only use their fists to try to take out Ladybug, which basically rendered them ineffective. But right here before him, was an Akuma solely based on using his fists. If Brawler couldn’t take her earrings then...

“Cha-Hawkmoth Junior!” she yelled as she dodged another one of Brawlers punches. “I know you’re listening! Stop this madness!”

Adrien sighed, every fight they had, Ladybug would always try to get him to change his mind. Get him to turn away, saying that it wasn’t too late for them. In a way it made him smile, she wasn’t giving up on him, even now, even if she was wrong.

“THEY’RE NOT COMING BACK!” Adrien flinched. Ladybug looked right at his Akuma’s eyes, at him, as she said that. The moment was brief before she had to roll away again.

“SILENCE!” Brawler yelled. “Give me your miraculous so that I may go find that cheating bastard!”

“I talked to my Kwami, she said your plan would never work!” Ladybug kept dodging and ignoring the Akuma. “Please, it’s not too late to turn back now. I’ll forgive you if you give the butterfly brooch to me. Please, stop this!” She begged. “I know you must be in pain, so please! Let me help you!”

She looked tired and exhausted now. The fight had been dragging on for too long. Brawler gave her no opening to strike back, so she was left dodging and rolling away. Not even getting a moment to call her Lucky Charm safely. Adrien sighed as he watched her dodge yet another blow. It was only a matter of time now. And he was right, it was just brief moment, she was too slow to get up after rolling away and Brawler had come up right behind her. He landed a punch straight in her chest as she turned around, causing her to fly across the room and hit the wall.

“HA!” Brawler laughed. “Got you!” Brawler ran over to her as she struggled to get back on her feet. He picked her up by the throat and pinned her to the wall. He prepared to punch her again when Adrien interrupted.

“STOP! What are you doing!” he yelled, as Brawler groaned in pain. “She’s already weak! Don’t hurt her any further, just get her earrings.”

“Very well, Junior,” Brawler snickered as his spare arm went for her earrings. Ladybug grabbed his giant arm with her both hands, trying to push it away.

“Chat...please...” she barely managed to speak out as tears rolled down her cheek. She tried her best to stop Brawler, but he was too strong. His hand slowly but surely made its way up to Ladybug’s left earring.

“What... the hell...?” Ladybug whispered, as her eyes widened, looking at something behind him. Just as Brawler’s hand reached her ear, he felt pain in his chest. He immediately dropped Ladybug as he screamed in agony.

“Brawler! What’s wrong!” Adrien desperately asked. He was so close, his Akuma was right there. What the hell went wrong?!

Adrien’s question was answered as Brawler looked down. A giant grappling hook had pierced his stomach.

“WHAT THE FUCK!” Brawler yelled as he desperately tried to pull the hook out with his hands, with no luck. Brawler yelled in pain again, as he found himself being dragged backwards by someone pulling him.

“Turn around! Who’s dragging you! Brawler! Fight back!” Adrien tried to yell over his Akuma’s screams of misery. As Brawler came to a stop, Adrien saw Ladybug get up as she rubbed her throat. Suddenly her eyes widened in horror, as she stared at something behind Brawler.

“STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!” she yelled as she threw her yo-yo. The yo-yo zipped past Brawler’s head, just in time to collide with something metallic behind him, creating a _‘cling’_  sound.

Brawler, who was still screaming in pain and trying to stop his bleeding, didn’t see Ladybug quickly run up to him and snatch his belt. And with that Adrien’s feed was cut off.

“DAMNIT!” Adrien yelled, immediately de-transforming and running to his room. He was so close! The closest he’s been in days. He would have to get lucky again to get an Akuma this strong. Who the hell stopped him? Who was strong enough to actually hurt his Akuma like that? Whoever he was, he will pay. He will pay for getting in the way of him and his parents.

Adrien slammed his door open and put on the news. The media was being held off by police who had formed a perimeter line in front of the building. All he could see was two blurry shapes of red and black through the holes in the walls where Brawlers punches had landed. No good, he needed to know what happened. He briefly looked over to his hidden drawer containing his ring. Wait, Alya. He ran over to his computer, opening up the Ladyblog. His suspicions were correct, Alya had somehow snuck into the building and she was livestreaming from inside the room, hiding behind some broken rubble. Thank Alya and her stubbornness.

“...You can’t just go around killing innocent people you think deserve it,” Ladybug yelled at the mysterious figure in black. He must’ve been the one who attacked his Akuma from behind, Adrien concluded, as he was holding on to the familiar hook from before.

“Listen dots, I’m pretty sure choosing to side with a supervillian doesn’t count as exactly ‘innocent’” he replied back.

“They _are_ innocent! They are taken advantage of at a moment of weakness! It’s not their fault!” Ladybug yelled back at him, gritting her teeth.

The stranger turned away, huffing. “Fine, fine, whatever. I’ll help you with the Akumas, but when I find that Hawkmoth guy I’m gonna crush his head in.”

“DON’T YOU DARE!” Ladybug snarled at him, pointing a finger in his chest. “We’re supposed to be heroes, not murderers! We don’t take the law into our own hands!”

“Hmmph,” he smirked. “I’m no hero, especially if it means being as weak as you.”

Ladybug opened her mouth to protest when he cut her off. “Go do your miraculous thing, the poor guys suffered enough,” he said tilting his head towards the unconscious boxer with a hole in chest.

Ladybug suddenly grew pale, having forgotten about the victim. She drew a deep breath and called her miraculous ladybug, which repaired the broken building and healed the boxer.

“We’ll talk again,” Ladybug hissed, as she carried the boxer out the building.

As soon as she exited, the stranger looked directly at the camera.

“Eeeeep...,” Alya squeaked as her camera fell down. The video was black, due to being on the floor, but the audio still worked. Footsteps were heard as Alya’s breathing escalated.

“Relax,” he said, “I’m not going to hurt you. I can tell you’re innocent.”

“Oh, um okay?” she responded.

“Are you livestreaming?” he asked.

“Y-yeah, I run the Ladyblog, I’m livestreaming there,” she murmered.

“Good, record me before the police barge in. I have a message to get across,” he ordered.

“Um, okay,” Alya responded as the phone was picked up and the phone was focused back on the dark figure.

At this close distance, Adrien could make out how he looked like clearly. He had dark hair, with thick black goggles which hid his eyes. His suit was pitch black, even in the lit room, contrasting with his white face and hands. There was hardly any light reflecting off his suit, creating an eerie darkness to it. On his right hand was a bracelet, which glowed purple. The hook he had been carrying dissolved into purple mist, which was sucked into the bracelet he was wearing. He crossed his arms and looked into the camera.

“Listen up, people of Paris. I’m Void. I carry the miraculous for darkness,” he spoke sternly. “I’m here on personal business, looking for someone. But while I’m here, I might as well help out by cleaning your mess for you. You hear that Hawkmoth Junior? I’m coming for you, and anyone who I find guilty of being a criminal scum.” Void then leaned into the camera so his entire face was framed. “And trust me, I know how to tell you’re guilty.” He then leant back and smirked, before running off.

“W-well, th-there you have i-it, Ladybloggers,” Alya stuttered. “This is Alya, peace out,” she nervously laughed, making a peace sign at the camera, before the stream cut off.

“Another miraculous holder?” Adrien whispered in confusion. Adrien turned to look at Nooroo who had silently been watching. “Nooroo! Did my dad know about this, who is he?” he asked the Kwami. Nooroo just sighed, and looked back at Adrien.

“Follow me, Adrien. I think there’s another book you must see.”

Adrien followed Nooroo yet again to his father’s study, to his safe hidden behind a portrait painting. Nooroo phased in and opened the lock.

“This is the one,” Nooroo pointed to a fat book resting in the safe. “It contains information about the miraculous. It was the first book your father found, that began his search for more information, and eventually the butterfly miraculous.”

“Wha...? Why didn’t you tell me about this! How many more books are there that I need to know about!” Adrien yelled.

“I didn’t tell you because I thought it didn’t matter, until now,” Nooroo calmly replied. “And this book and the other one I showed you are the only books I know about. If there’s more, your dad had them hidden from me, I swear.”

“Hmmph, fine,” Adrien huffed, as he closed the safe and the portrait. Adrien went back to his room and began reading it.

“Great, again, it’s in a language I can’t read. Can you read this?” he asked Nooroo.

“Of course,” Nooroo replied.

Adrien flipped through a couple of pages, finding what he was sure was the table of contents. “Do you see the darkness miraculous listed here?” he asked Nooroo.

Nooroo spent some time reading to himself. “Yes,” he answered. “As well as your’s and Ladybug’s.”

Adrien flipped to the pages that talked about their miraculous. Nooroo translated the information on the pages, telling Adrien what he already knew. What powers they had, what shape their miraculous took, what kind of weapons they got.

“It says here Ladybug’s Kwami’s name is Tikki, and yours’ is Plagg,” Nooroo told Adrien.

“Huh, Tikki,” he noted. “Enough, I already know all this. Nooroo go to the page about Void.” Nooroo nodded and flipped pages until they reached their target. Adrien looked at the different designs of the dark miraculous as Nooroo began to read.

“It says here the Kwami of the dark miraculous is called ‘Damien’. His miraculous item is the bracelet he wears,” Nooroo read.

“Makes sense,” Adrien thought, “explains his purple glowing bracelet.”

“Where you have your baton, he has the power to conjure up any weapon he wishes, through the bracelet. But it takes time to form,” Nooroo kept reading. “His special move is...”

“What?” Adrien asked as Nooroo suddenly went silent.

“It doesn’t say, it seems someone removed this part of the text. There’s more here on this next page that someone also removed,” Nooroo said flipping the page.

Adrien frowned, “Doesn’t matter, we will just find out in due time.”

“Adrien,” Nooroo called him, “he is part of a pair of miraculous. Just as you and Ladybug are destruction and creation, two opposites, but part of a whole, so too is he. Where he is the miraculous of darkness, his opposite is the miraculous of light. They are meant to be together, just like you and Ladybug.”

Adrien thought back to the livestream. “He did say he was here looking for someone. Maybe he’s here looking for his partner?”

“Perhaps,” Nooroo responded. “That’s it, that’s all there is about him.”

Adrien picked up the book and closed it, hiding it beneath his bed. “Thanks Nooro. Now get some sleep, we’ll have to start reading the book more tomorrow.”

Adrien lay in bed unable to sleep. He thought back to how close he was earlier today, how close he was to getting Ladybug’s earrings. The sight of her exhausted and in pain made Adrien even angrier. If only Void hadn’t interrupted, then this whole ordeal would be over with, and he could give Ladybug her earrings back, and things would go back to normal. But now that Void was personally against him, this might drag on for much longer than necessary. He would have to go against Ladybug for much longer now. Fine, if Void wanted to play, then he would play too. He won’t hold back against him. After all, if you tried to kill an Akuma, you’re not really innocent are you. And Adrien swore to never hurt innocent civilians, not miraculous holders with a sick sense of justice.

Adrien looked at the time and sighed, he had a test tomorrow, and now he would be tired. Atleast he would get to see Marinette. The two memories of her kissing him kept replaying in head until he fell asleep.

 

 

“Good morning class, I’d like to introduce our new classmate, Jacob. He just moved to Paris last night and will be attending this school for the rest of the semester. I hope you will get to know him and help him with your...” his homeroom teacher went on and on.

Adrien wasn’t listening, he was looking at the new student. Adrien noticed his clean black shoes, blue jeans, and purple shirt. He was white skinned, wore black glasses, and had short, black hair that was properly combed. He looked normal, until Adrien looked into his brown eyes. He was staring right back at him. Adrien sat upright, continuing to stare at him, refusing to break this staring contest they had seemed to gotten into. After a while, Jacob smirked, and that’s when his eyes went pitch black. Adrien flinched, closing his eyes but for a moment. When he opened his eyes, he wasn’t in his classroom. He was floating through darkness. Adrien opened his mouth to yell for help, but no noise came out. He felt nothing, saw nothing and heard nothing. Adrien flailed his arms, hoping to latch onto something, anything. He was hoping for any physical feeling, and then he saw white. In front of him, was a white spotlight, that seemed to be illuminating something below him. He looked down and saw Ladybug standing there, looking up at him with a blank face. He tried to move towards her, but he was stuck suspended. He looked around the room, the reflection of the spotlight the only thing illuminating it. Suddenly he saw Brawler, he saw him charging towards Ladybug from the corner of the room. Adrien yelled, trying to warn Ladybug, but no sound came out. She continued to look up at him with an expressionless face, as Brawler’s fist connected with her chest, and she flew across the room, into the darkness.

Adrien found himself staring into pitch black eyes. He was back in his seat, in the classroom. He blinked and the eyes were back to being brown, followed by the white that surrounds them. Jacob was bent over, staring at Adrien, as a hand was squeezing his shoulders.

 “You okay there champ?” Jacob asked.

Adrien gulped, “Your, your eyes.”

Jacob chuckled, “Oh, thanks for noticing. I know, they’re beautiful.” Jacob winked at him.

“No, I mean...”

“Sit down, Jacob, the rest of us have a test to write,” the teacher frowned.

“Sorry ma’am,” Jacob apologized as he took his seat farther back.

Nino elbowed Adrien back, “What’s with you man? You were staring at the wall non-stop for like a good 5 minutes while the teacher introduced the new guy.” Nino told him, as the test papers were handed out. “And get this, I swear I didn’t see you blink once. Are you okay, bro?”

“Yeah, just sleepy,” Adrien muttered. He was too much in shock right to say anything else.

“The test begins now, no talking!” the teacher said, looking at Nino and Adrien.

He was too confused and shocked to say anything else. Had he been dreaming? A dream would explain everything, especially since he _was_ tired from last night. But this was too vivid, felt too real to be a dream. Not to mention Nino said he was staring for the whole time, unblinking. How can you have a dream without closing your eyes? But if this wasn’t a dream, what happened to him? And most importantly, why was Jacob’s eyes pitch black? Was that part of the illusion too? Maybe it was his glasses reflecting something in an odd way? Or did Jacob do something to him, somehow? Adrien glanced back, at where Jacob was sitting. Jacob caught Adrien staring and smiled, winking at him in the process.

“No looking around!” his teacher yelled, earning a mumbled sorry from Adrien. It was safe to say that Adrien probably failed his first test ever, as he kept repeating what happened, trying to make sense of it.

 

 

“....And the footage was recorded by Alya Cesaire, who is also known for running the famous Ladyblog,” the newsperson said through Alya’s phone, as the group gathered around to watch during their lunch break.

“Wow babe, I can’t believe your video made it on the national news!” Nino chirped.

“Why are you happy?” Marinette asked Nino, crossing her arms. “Alya, you endangered yourself! What if that Void guy happened to be bad, and Ladybug wasn’t there to protect you? Then what? Are you really willing to die to get some good footage?”

“Relax girl,” Alya sighed, “I know what I was doing. He didn’t seem like a bad guy to me.”

“Didn’t seem like a bad guy!?” Adrien intervened. “Alya! He almost killed that Akuma!”

Alya sunk down on her seat, “Yeah well, I found out about that after, when Ladybug explained what happened to the police and media.”

“He’s no hero,” Nino acknowledged, “but he’s no bad guy either. He’s a vigilante, so as long as he thinks you’re innocent, you’re safe, I guess.” Nino turned to look at Alya, “But how did he know you were innocent, he seemed so sure?”

“Yeah, doesn’t he know about all the bodies we’ve buried together,” Marinette snickered at Alya.

Nino frowned, “This is serious, Marinette. He’s another miraculous user like Ladybug and Chat Noir. Which means he has powers, maybe he can tell somehow if we’re guilty or not?”

“Maybe,” Marinette agreed, taking a bite of her food. “He’s bad trouble, with Chat Noir M.I.A for over a week now, and this guy running around with his twisted sense of Justice, I wonder if Ladybug will be able to handle it.”

“I’m sure Ladybug will be just fine, she can handle anything,” Adrien reassured her. Marinette just looked away, staring off into nothing again.

Alya opened her mouth to talk, but was cut off by the buzzing of the speakers that rang across the lunchroom.

_Attention Students. The Halloween dance you have all been trying soo hard to have, has now been confirmed for the end of this month. Congratulations! Now get out there and start asking people out, because you only have a week or so to get a date. Good luck!_

The entire lunchroom interrupted into cheer, as Nino and Alya looked to each other, giggling. Adrien glanced at Marinette to find her already staring at him. They both blushed and Adrien looked away, right into the familiar pitch black eyes of Jacob across the lunchroom. Alya elbowed Adrien, causing him to turn around to see Alya smirking at him. Adrien turned back to Jacob, and saw his brown eyes again, looking as normal as ever. Jacob simply smiled and waved, before walking away.

 

 

Adrien collapsed onto his bed, exhausted from today, both mentally and physically. It was Friday, so the four of them went to watch a movie after school, before going to the park and playing for the rest of the day. But the only thing Adrien could remember was Jacob’s eyes. Was Adrien going crazy? Or was there something else about Jacob he wasn’t noticing? Adrien drifted off to sleep, only the memories of Marinette blushing today, drowning out his paranoia.

 

 

Adrien woke up with cold sweat. He was panting, gasping for air.

“Adrien! Are you okay?” Nooroo asked.

“I’m...I’m fine,” Adrien replied, making his way to the bathroom. He splashed water over his face, recalling the nightmare he just had. It was the same illusion he went through earlier that day. However, he was the Brawler, and he punched Ladybug. Over and over again, the nightmare kept repeating. Ladybug had always been looking away from him, up at the spotlight, that illuminated her, and where Adrien had been previously suspended. But at the last time, as Adrien charged at her to punch her again, she looked directly at him, and asked, _‘why’._ He woke up, as soon as the punch connected.

Adrien came out of bathroom, calm but still scared. He eyed the clock, it was late into the night. Ladybug was probably sleeping, as he should be. Which gave Adrien an idea. If he sent an Akuma this late at night, Ladybug would show up tired, giving his Akuma an advantage. Now he just had to hope Void wouldn’t interfere.

“Nooroo, let’s go!”

 

 

Adrien waited for his lady to show up. Boy, whoever was underneath that mask sure was a heavy sleeper. He had ordered his new Akuma to run around the city, until Ladybug showed up. All of Paris must be awake now, due to the loud sirens of the Police cars trailing behind. Adrien felt bad for his new Akuma. He has been robbed of all his money, and was left crying in an alleyway with an empty wallet. He had promised Avenger revenge on his mugger, if he brought Ladybug’s earrings to him.

“Seriously, just because there’s no school tomorrow doesn’t mean I don’t need my beauty sleep,” Ladybug mumbled, sleepily.

“LADYBUG! I AM AVENGER! GIVE ME...” Avenger was cut off as his throat was being constricted.

“VOID! STOP IT!” Ladybug yelled at him.

“Fine, fine,” Void sighed, as he threw Avenger against the alley wall. “What do you want me to do?”

“They usually have an important item on them that contains the Akuma butterfly. Grab it and break it,” Ladybug told Void.

“Got it,” Void affirmed, as he and Ladybug made their way over to Avenger.

“AVENGER! SNAP OUT OF IT!” Adrien yelled, as his Akuma slowly got up. “Listen to me! Do whatever you want to Void, but don’t hurt Ladybug, got it?”

“Yes, Hawkmoth Junior,” Avenger smiled, as he withdrew his wallet. Facing the approaching duo, Avenger fired dollar bills from his wallet at Void, who dodged and rolled away, as the bills exploded behind him. But as Ladybug got too close, Avenger would simply leap back, creating distance. This continued for a while, as the duo backed the Akuma farther and farther into the alleyway. Police had now begun to create a perimeter at the entrance of the alley, trusting their Ladybug to save the night.

Avenger was backed into a fence, as he continued to throw his explosive bills at Void, keeping him at bay. Ladybug swung herself into the air, coming down to dropkick Avenger. Avenger promptly ducked, causing Ladybug to kick the fence behind him. Ladybug recovered and was about the strike Avenger again, when a loud scream was heard coming from inside the building to their right.

Void kicked the door leading inside, open, “I’ll check it out! You take care of that Akuma!”

Void ran inside, as Avenger and Ladybug fought hand to hand. Adrien knew the smart thing to do was to try to Ladybug’s earrings as Void was distracted. But Adrien didn’t trust Void. “Chase after him!” Adrien yelled, as Avenger dodged Ladybug’s leg kick, and ran inside the building after Void.

“Get back here!” Ladybug yelled after him.

They both entered the building and ran through a couple of doors before freezing in their tracks. There on the stairs, beside them was a stranger who was bleeding. He was resting against the steps, with his hand over the cut.

“That guy from the news,” the man whimpered, “he saved my life.” Ladybug ignored the Akuma as she knelt beside him.

“You’ll be okay, what happened?” Ladybug asked.

“My brother, we got into an argument about selling this empty building, he got mad, and tried to kill me. But that guy came and saved me, dragged my brother off,” the man replied.

“Where did he go?” Avenger asked. That’s when Ladybug snapped her attention back at him.

“Stay here, help will come,” she comforted him, before she started attacking Avenger again. Avenger tried to fight back, but Ladybug was too agile. He was eventually backed into the door beside the stairs, which he opened and ran inside. Ladybug followed him, but froze, as her and Avenger stared at the two men in front of them.

Void had his hand on the man’s shoulder. They stood perfectly calm and still, gazing into each other’s eyes.

“What’s going on?” Ladybug asked, twirling her yo-yo.

“Avenger, attack him now! He’s distracted!” Adrien ordered. Avenger lifted his wallet, throwing an explosive bill, which Void immediately dodged.

Void turned to face Ladybug and Avenger as he grabbed the man around his neck with his left arm.

“This man is guilty Ladybug, he has killed 2 people,” Void said coldly. “He must pay.”

“Hmmph, would’ve been 3 if you didn’t barge in and...hmmmm,” the man was cut short, as Void tightened his grip on his neck.

“Let him go Void! We don’t get to be judge, jury and executioner! It’s our job to send him over to the police, nothing more!” Ladybug yelled after him.

“Sorry, dots, can’t let him kill anyone else,” Void replied, as purple mist was expelled from his bracelet, creating a dagger in his right hand.

“AVENGER! Stop him!” Adrien yelled, as his Akuma rushed forward.

“NOOO!” Ladybug yelled as she threw her yo-yo, hoping to tie around Void’s arm and stop him.

But both were too late, as Ladybug’s yo-yo made contact, his dagger was already through the man’s heart. Ladybug threw Void across the room, as the man collapsed as a limp body onto the floor.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” Ladybug cried as she ran over to the lifeless body.

“My job,” Void snarled, as Avenger went back to fighting him. “I don’t have time for this, the man by the staircase needs my help!”

“Avenger! Stop! Go to Ladybug, give her your wallet,” Adrien ordered.

“But...but my mugger,” Avenger stopped attacking, as Void took the opportunity to run towards the wounded brother.

“Do as you’re told!” Adrien hissed, as the Akuma yelled out in pain.

“Okay, okay,” Avenger sighed, as he made his way over to Ladybug. She was cradling the dead body by her chest, sniffling as tears made a pool underneath her.

Avenger tapped her on the shoulder and she immediately got up, swinging her yo-yo. She was raging, gritting her teeth, daring Avenger to make the first move.

“Hawkmoth Junior wants you to take this,” Avenger handed out the wallet. “Purify the Akuma, and use your miraculous ladybug, he can still be saved."

Suddenly, Ladybug’s anger turned into hope as she stopped twirling her yo-yo and grabbed the wallet from Avenger. She sobbed as she looked into Avenger’s eyes, “Thanks, Chat.”

As soon, as Ladybug broke the wallet, Adrien de-transformed and ran for his room, turning on the news. He made it just in time to see Void coming out of the alleyway, with the now healed brother in his arms. Medics took the man, and Void conjured up a grappling hook, which he used to escape to the rooftops. Adrien was outraged at Void, but his current attention was to Ladybug, as he waited for her to show up. They had always wondered if the miraculous ladybug would be able to return the dead back to life. They had never had to worry about it because his dad was never that evil. But now things were clearly different. He finally saw Ladybug emerge from the alleyway, holding the man in her arms. He still had blood all over him, and his body was lifeless. Ladybug handed the man over to the medics, before she promptly swung away as well. Adrien gasped and sat back in his seat. Guess now they finally had an answer.

“I CAN’T BELEIVE HE KILLED SOMEONE!” Adrien shouted, getting up from his seat and stomping around the room.

_‘He will pay. Pay for coming between you and Ladybug, and pay for what he’s done.’_

Adrien had never been this furious in his life. He was going to yell once again when his buzzer rang. Adrien hesitantly made his way over to the panel. It was well into the middle of the night, who could possibly be at his door right now? Adrien opened the video feed, and froze in shock. It was Marinette. Adrien opened his front gates, and pulled his door open, running as fast as he could down his steps and out the front doors. He kept running until he saw Marinette slowly walking towards him. He stopped right in front of the girl, who was looking down. She was crying.

“Marinette? What’s wrong?” Adrien asked grabbing her hands for comfort. Marinette looked up at him with watery tears.

“I...I can’t do this anymore...I failed him...it’s too hard for me alone...” she sobbed as she ran in for a hug. She cried into his neck, “He’s gone because I failed. And now I’m here because I have no one to talk to and I...I...”

Adrien was confused but he hugged her back. “It’s okay, Marinette, I’m here now. You’re safe. Come inside,” Adrien comforted her as the gates behind them closed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading ^_^


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette confesses to Adrien

Adrien cradled Marinette, as she sat in his bed, with her face tucked into his chest. She gripped onto Adrien’s shirt with her hands, as tears fell down her cheek. Tears that ultimately stained and wetted his shirt. Her uncontrollable sobs and sniffles echoed in his large, dark room. Adrien had been very confused by her words, earlier. But he would not pry, this moment was for her, not to sate his curiosity. He wanted to be there to comfort her, ensure she was safe in his arms. He wrapped one arm around her back, as the other held the back of her head. He pressed her face farther against his chest, causing her to deepen her sobbing, as even more tears flooded his shirt. He whispered assurance in her ears, telling her she was safe, everything was ok. His hand on her back started rubbing soothing circles, as the minutes dragged on for what seemed like hours.

If the context was any different, Adrien would have blushed at the proximity of the girl on him. Especially considering his yet-to-be-sorted feelings towards her. But right now he was worried, and most of all confused. His mind was pacing, recalling earlier events and memories. He tried to piece them together, find out what or who could have possible hurt this sweet girl. Someone had betrayed her, someone he didn’t know. She mentioned being alone, deserted by the person she trusted perhaps? But who did she fail? And what did she mean by them being ‘gone’?

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as Marinette began to quiet down. He reminded himself, again, that this was about her. He would soothe her, and if she trusted him enough with her personal life, then he would listen. But until then, he wouldn’t force her to reveal anything. Especially since she clearly trusted him enough to come to him for comfort, in the middle of the night, during the aftermath of an Akuma attack no less. He continued to rub her back, and pat her head, as her breathing quieted and her tears dried. She removed her firm grip from his shirt, wiping her tears instead. She pulled her head back, making Adrien remove his hands from her, bringing them back to his side.

“I...I...” Marinette tried to speak in between sniffles while looking down at the bed. “I’m sorry, I woke you up...”

“Don’t be,” Adrien grabbed her chin, and lifted her head up so he could look at her. Her eyes were puffy, and red. Her nose was runny. She looked so tired, so exhausted, it made Adrien’s heart ache. He reached across the bed with his hand, grabbing a tissue box on the nightstand.

“I’m happy I could be there to make you feel better,” he admitted, as he wiped her nose with the tissue. “I’m happy you trusted me enough to come to me in your moment of weakness and pain,” he said, smiling brightly at her.

Marinette returned the smile, before looking down again and frowning. “I feel like I owe you an explanation,” she whimpered.

Adrien placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it, “You don’t owe me anything, Marinette.”

Marinette suddenly looked up at Adrien, “B-But...I...you...after everything you did for me...” Adrien shushed her with his finger, leaving her mouth open in awe.

Adrien let go of her shoulder, and grabbed her hands with his own, before looking her right into her eyes. “You don’t owe me an explanation. Don’t feel like telling me something you don’t want to, just because I helped you out. But...” Adrien paused to squeeze her hands, as he continued to stare into her blue eyes, as she stared back, “...when you feel the time is right, and you trust me enough, I’ll be here, more than happy to listen.”

Adrien smiled at her, still grasping her hands to re-assure her everything fine. But Marinette’s eyes grew wider, her mouth closing in a pout, as fresh new tears gathered up in her eyes. Adrien let go of her hands immediately, as panic spread through his body.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry, did I say something wrong, I didn’t mean to...” Adrien quickly blurted out, only to stop when Marinette rushed forward. She placed her hands around his neck, and pushed her face against his shoulder, giving him a hug.

“No! No, Adrien!” she assured him, wiping her tears as she sniffed. “It’s just...you’re the nicest, one of the sweetest guys I know. This is exactly why I... why I...” Marinette paused, her body shivering, as she pushed her face closer into his body.

Adrien gulped, returning the hug. He waited for her to continue, finish her sentence. After a while when she didn’t, he softly asked, “why you what? Marinette?”

Adrien felt Marinette take a deep breath, as she moved away from the hug, and looked right up at Adrien, their faces only inches close. Her eyes were closed, but her mouth was open. Adrien watched her place her hands on his cheeks as she opened her eyes, and stared right at him.

“....Why I fell in love with you all those years ago,” Marinette sighed, putting on a soft smile.

Adrien’s body went tense, as he froze up in shock. He continued to stare at her, with his mouth agape in awe.

“I love you, Adrien,” she whispered, still holding on to his cheeks.

This time, Adrien shivered. His whole body shuddered as he closed his eyes. How long has been since he heard those words from a girl he loved. From Ladybug? Never. From his mother? Years ago, that now felt like an eternity. And yes, he loved Marinette. He was just too blind and ignorant of his feelings. But now here they were, at the forefront of his mind. The past few days of glancing at Marinette in school, blushing whenever they got too close, or found themselves at the teasing end of Alya’s comments. Months of being friends with her, hanging out as a group, laughing at her jokes, being in silent comfort around her, now that she had finally began to talk around him. Years of observing her from a distance, her bravery, confidence as she stood for her classmates against Chloe. Her leadership and duty as class president. Her selfless willingness to help others during Akuma attacks while Ladybug and Chat Noir were coming.

“Say it again,” Adrien whispered, opening his eyes and leaning closer.

“I love you,” Marinette giggled.

“Again,” he repeated, as his brought his face even closer, resting his forehead atop hers, as he gazed in those all too familiar blue eyes. Marinette swallowed, as Adrien grabbed her face, as she was grabbing his.

Adrien both felt and heard, as her mouth opened and she breathed, “I love you.”

Adrien immediately closed his eyes and leaned forward, as Marinette copied him a moment later. Their lips met in a chaste kiss, which lasted but for a moment, before Adrien pulled back.

“I love you too, Marinette,” he sobbed, removing his hands from her face to wipe his happy tears. “I love you so much,” he cried, closing his eyes. He felt Marinette move her hands from his face, to the back of his head. He only opened his eyes again in shock, when he felt Marinette jerk his head down, to crash her lips into his. Adrien closed his eyes again, seeing as Marinette had done the same. He felt Marinette’s lips part, as a tongue came out, brushing against his own lips. Adrien hesitantly opened his own mouth, as Marinette’s tongue entered it, deepening the kiss. The kiss was more passionate, more desperate. Adrien moaned in pleasure, as Marinette continued to swirl her tongue around his. They both pulled back, once the need for air became too much. They stared at each other, panting. Both simultaneously blushed, as the high of pleasure came down, and they realized what they had just done.

“I’ve wanted to confess to you for so long,” Marinette admitted, as she played with her fingers in her lap, looking anywhere but at him.

“How long?” Adrien asked. “Since when?”

“Since... since the first day I met you,” Marinette told him.

“What! I thought you hated me for years because of the gum thing,” Adrien stated in shock.

“Well, I did...at first,” Marintte answered, still nervously playing with herself. “But then...after school, you gave me your umbrella because it was raining. I realized then...And I developed a huge crush on you,” Marinette quickly gazed at Adrien, to see his reaction before looking away again. Adrien was still shocked, and now confused. He continued to stare at her, quizzically.

 “Okay...but just up until a few months ago, you wouldn’t talk to me. In fact you tried your very best to run away from me...” Adrien stated yet again. “I don’t understand...why...”

“Because I was nervous,” Marinette interrupted. “For years, I was nervous, and I couldn’t hammer out a full sentence around you.” Marinette looked at Adrien this time, taking his hands into her own. “But then I realized something. I had a huge crush on you, but I didn’t really know you. I mean how could I? When I could count on one hand, the number of conversations we would have together that year. That’s when I realized I had to change. I wanted to know you better, as a friend. That’s why I started hanging out more with you and Nino during the past year or so. Sure the more I spent time with you, the less nervous I got, but, my love only grew stronger. And now, the past week, with after everything with your dad,” Marinette cringed, realizing what she had just said.

“It’s okay, go on,” Adrien squeezed her hands back, in assurance.

Marinette took a deep breath, “I wanted to be there for you, help you through these tough times. Make sure you knew you had friends here, who cared for you. But it turns out, the situation got reversed,” Marinette nervously laughed. “You’re the one who ended up caring for me, being there when I’m the one who needed help.” Marinette sniffed, bringing her hand to wipe away a single tear in her eyes, but Adrien beat her to it. Marinette smiled, “Today I realized just how much you mean to me. I just had to tell you, even if you only saw me as friend.” Marinette looked away at those words, but Adrien caught her chin, bringing her to gaze at him.

“I love you, Marinette,” Adrien smiled, reassuring her that she was more than a friend now.

“I love you too, Adrien,” Marinette replied, closing her eyes, as they bumped foreheads. They stayed in that comfortable embrace for what seemed like hours. Adrien had a huge smile across his face. He had never felt this happy in a long while. After everything that had happened, it was nice to be loved. Sure he was going to bring his parents back, and they loved him, but for now they were gone, however temporary. But Marinette was right here, and she loved him back. He opened his eyes, to see her staring back.

“It’s okay to cry, you know,” she told him.

“What?” Adrien asked in confusion.

She brought her hands up to caress his cheeks in a soothing fashion. “With everything that happened to you with your parents, you’re allowed to cry, Adrien, you’re only human.”

Adrien realizing what she meant now, sighed. He couldn’t tell her his parents were coming back, that he had no reason to grieve over their deaths.

“Everything’s fine, Marinette,” he told her, “I’m okay.”

“No you’re not! You’re parents are dead, Adrien!” she snapped at him, making Adrien flinch and move away from her touch. “You have to accept that they’re gone!” Marinette then leaned forward after him, looking him in the eyes, as she again caressed his cheek. “But I’m here now, you don’t have to go through this alone.” She kissed his cheek in saying so.

Adrien was furious, upon hearing those words. Mostly because it wasn’t true. But he forced himself to calm down, taking a deep breath. She didn’t know. He couldn’t be mad at her for just caring about him, and wanting to comfort him. He should be happy, and he was.

“Thank you, Marinette,” he smiled at her. “I promise, when I’m ready, I’ll talk to you about this. Okay?”

“Okay,” Marinette sighed, as she leaned back into a comfortable sitting position.

They sat in awkward silence for a while. Both having to say what they needed, and now not knowing what to say next. Adrien looked at Marinette, who having been caught staring, looked away, giggling nervously.

“The dance!” Adrien remembered, startling them both out of their thoughts. “You want to um, go with me?” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck while he blushed, as he turned to look at her. Marinette was looking back, with a sly grin across her face.

“I don’t know, I have a bunch of guys lined up to ask me out. I’ll have to compare you first, see you where you stand with them,” Marinette remarked, folding her arms.

Adrien grinned, moving forward, so that his face was mere inches away from hers. “That wouldn’t be necessary, I doubt any of them are as handsome as me,” Adrien winked at her, causing her to blush.

“Th-that’s t-true,” Marinette stuttered, her face going even redder.

“So is that a yes?” he asked softly, leaning even closer to her face, until their lips brushed against each others.

Marinette swallowed, looking Adrien in the eyes. “Yes,” she whispered.

“Great!” Adrien chirped, falling down on his back to his bed, as his arms wrapped around a pillow. “I can’t wait.”

Marinette giggled, as she fell down next to him. Her hands on her belly, as she stared up at the ceiling. She felt Adrien’s hand move across the bed, over her belly and hold onto her hand. They stayed in this comfort silence for a while, until Adrien moved. He rolled over onto Marinette, his body atop hers. Only his propped up elbows on the bed, holding his weight off of her. Marinette squeeked, at the closeness, her blush now extending past her face, and down her body.

“Does does this mean you’re my girlfriend now?” Adrien asked, sporting a blush of his own.

Marinette’s eyes went wide, as she came to that realization just now. She covered her face in embarrassment, “I...yes, you’re my boyfriend.” She told herself mostly, rather than confirming his question. Adrien laughed, moving her hands off her face, so he could look at her. They stared at each other for a while, Adrien’s laughter, fading, and turning more serious. His eyes became half-lidded, looking at Marinette in longing.

“Marinette...” he whispered, as he brought his hand to rub her face, before moving to feel her neck, his hand going farther south...

“I should go!” Marinette quickly sat up, and scooted over the bed, “My, um, parents will kill me...if they find out I snuck out at night...”

“Right! I forgot how late it was,” Adrien followed after Marinette. “I’ll walk you to the gates,” he told her as he opened his bedroom door for her. They walked in silence, past the front doors, down to the open gates.

“So, uh, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Marinette asked Adrien, as they reached the sidewalk.

“Tomorrow?” Adrien inquired.

“Yeah, we’re all going to see that new clown movie in the afternoon,” Marinette reminded him.

“Oh right! I forgot about it,” Adrien slapped his forehead, making Marinette giggle.

“Thanks again, for everything,” Marinette whispered, leaning closer to Adrien.

Adrien copied her movements, merging his lips with hers. Their kiss deepened but for a second, before Marinette pulled back.

“Goodnight, Adrien”

“Night, Marinette”

Adrien slept peacefully through the night, barely waking up in time to meet his friends for their movie.

 

 

“...Are you sure this is a good idea?” Marinette asked Adrien, folding her arms. They were at a bus stop, waiting for Nino and Alya to show up. “Alya will literally have a heart attack.”

“Oh there they are!” Adrien pointed to his friends who had just turned the corner. Adrien waved at them while they waved back. “Ok, kiss me.”

“No,” Marinette remained stubborn. “I won’t...mmmmmmm...”

Adrien pecked her on the lips instead, causing Marinette to whine. They promptly broke the kiss, turning to see their friends’ reaction.

Alya screamed dropping the drink in her hand, as Nino stood still, horror on his face.

“I didn’t expect that,” Adrien gulped.

“They’re not looking at us,” Marinette pointed out. They both simultaneously turned around, freezing in their tracks as they looked at the building behind them.

On the roof, stood Void. A man in a tuxedo was hanging from a rope tied to his body, from the edge of the roof. His lack of struggle indicating he was long gone. Void threw down a big piece of paper that unravelled and hung from the roof, beside the man. Void ran off, as everyone on the ground read off the message.

_DragonFire, you took the Light of my life._

_Darkness comes for you, Hawkmoth Jr, and any criminal in my way._

_\- Your Old Friend, Void_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, please leave a kudos if you liked it ^_^


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug saves Adrien, Chat meets Marinette.

“I have to go!” Marinette blurted out, backing away from Adrien, as he turned around to question her.   
“I, uh...forgot something in my room. See you guys at the theatre okay?”

“Marinette! Wait!” he tried to grab her wrist, trying to stop her, but it was too futile. She ran down the street, past Alya and Nino, giving them an apologetic smile. They didn’t react; still horrified at the spectacle Void had presented them with. Adrien gave chase, only to be stopped in his tracks as Nino grabbed his arm, causing Adrien to turn his attention to his best friend.

“Bro, what the hell just happened?” Nino asked, not expecting his friend to actually have an answer. Adrien opened his mouth, hesitating on what to say as he watched his friend staring off into the distance behind him. Should he comfort his friends? They had just witnessed a murder after all, in person. Adrien briefly recalled yesterday night, the anger he had felt when Void thrust that dagger through the man’s heart.

“I think I’m going to be sick...,” Alya whimpered as she crouched down, hands on her mouth. Nino immediately snapped out of his confusion, letting go of Adrien’s arm, and holding Alya up, gently patting her back.

“I think it’s safe to say the movie’s cancelled,” Nino sighed, as he slung his shoulder around Alya, comforting her. “I’m going to take her home.”

Adrien nodded, turning his gaze back to where he had seen Marinette run off. She was long gone, meaning that she was safe at her parent’s bakery. “Nino, call Marinette and tell her the movie’s off. Tell her to stay in her room, okay?” Adrien told Nino, who simply looked at him and nodded, before walking away with his girlfriend in his arms. With that, Adrien took off, away from Nino and Alya, away from the group of people now forming and away from the police cars now piling up at the base of the building.

_‘Void dares to go against you! Make him pay! Show him that he cannot just do whatever he wants, to whomever he wants in your city. No matter if they deserve it or not!’_

Adrien found a dark alleyway, where he could transform without being seen. He reached into his pant pocket, gripping the brooch. He always had Nooroo and the brooch on him, but refusing to wear it. It was too risky if someone identified his brooch, especially since he never wore anything besides his ring. Adrien sighed, his ring would be pretty handy right now. Chat Noir was made for fighting up close, being in the heat of the battle. Nooroo had explained that the butterfly miraculous was different. It was meant to be used as a support. Meant to empower people with positivity, and get them to help other miraculous users. But he had no choice, Void was here running around, and Adrien could not fight Void, Hawkmoth Jr stood a better chance. Adrien slowly began to pull out his hands from his pockets, bringing the brooch with it...

“Oh, look who it is!” a voice exclaimed from the entrance of the alleyway. Adrien flinched, immediately letting go of the brooch so it fell back into his pocket. Adrien whipped his head around to the direction of the voice. It was Void, slowly walking towards him, as his grappling hook dissolved into mist, returning back to his bracelet.

“Get away from me, you monster!” Adrien gritted his teeth, raising his hands defensively.

“Monster? Me?” Void chuckled, as he sauntered over to Adrien.  “Well you kind of have a point,” Void remarked, bringing up his hand to stroke his chin. “I guess I’m a monster that eats other monsters...So that makes me... a friendly monster, I suppose,” Void dropped his hand, giving Adrien a taunting smile.

“You’re sick!” Adrien spat in anger.

Void’s amusement fell, as he sighed. “And you’re wasting my time. I didn’t expect to run into you today, but now that you’re here...” Void stopped walking and raised his finger, gesturing to Adrien to come closer.

“Don’t you come near me,” Adrien snarled.

“Fine, playing hard to get are we, champ?”  Void smirked, as a long whip materialized from his bracelet. Adrien panicked, turning around to run as fast as he could. He stood no chance against Void as Adrien. He could probably defeat him as Chat Noir, but Hawkmoth Jr would have to do. He needed to get away, find a place to quickly transform. Adrien had taken no more than a few steps, before he felt the whip wrap tightly around his chest. He instantly felt himself being dragged backwards, into the arms of Void.

“LET GO OF ME!” Adrien screamed, punching Void’s arms that wrapped around him. Adrien was strong, but he knew he was nowhere as strong as a miraculous user. Void pinned Adrien, his back against the wall, with one arm pressing his chest, as the second muffled Adrien’s screams.

“Relax! Stop squirming!” Void warned. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Adrien closed his eyes, making himself calm down and think rationally. He was at the fully mercy of Void, he was powerless and couldn’t escape. The best he could hope for in this situation was to talk his way out. Besides, Void only hurts criminals, and as far as he knew, Void didn’t suspect him of being one, or he would be dead already. Unless of course Nino was right, that maybe Void knew how someone was guilty or not. Maybe Void had a way to find out who Adrien really is.

Void released his hand over Adrien’s mouth, now that he had stopped screaming. “What do you want?” Adrien muttered.

“Nothing, just tell me how my eyes look? Do you think they’re beautiful?” Void pouted, as he leaned closer to Adrien’s face. Suddenly, his black goggles became clear, letting Adrien gaze through at the brown eyes beneath them. Void’s eyes began to turn black, as Adrien calmly stared into them. Right before the last bits of Void’s eyes became engulfed in darkness, Adrien found himself being snapped out of his daze. Void soared through the air, landing a few meters away from him, as Ladybug held him by the shoulder. Adrien could see her move her mouth, but he wasn’t listening. His mind was on those black eyes. The very same he had seen in Jacob, yesterday morning at school. Was Jacob Void? They both happened to show up in Paris at the same time. Both had the same brown eyes, and similar body features.

“Adrien! Adrien!” Ladybug yelled, shaking Adrien by the shoulders. “Please! Say something!

“Ladybug,” Adrien gulped, returning to the reality of his situation. Ladybug had saved him from whatever Void was about to do to him. From his experience, possibly another vivid dream or illusion.

“Oh! I’m so glad you’re safe,” she sighed, letting go of Adrien’s shoulder to give him a tight hug.

Adrien just stood there, not returning the hug, as guilt overcame him. How would she feel, if she knew he was the cause of her troubles. That he was Hawkmoth Jr, creating Akumas to snatch her earrings because he was too weak to do it himself.

“Ahem,” Void coughed, making Ladybug immediately let go of Adrien and turn her attention to him.

“Stay back,” Ladybug ordered, moving Adrien behind her with one arm, while she continued to look at Void with anger.

“Excuse me, dots, but me and Adrien were having a special bonding moment,” Void called his whip back into his bracelet, crossing his arms. “Now if you would please be as kind as to return him, I’ll greatly appreciate it.”

Ladybug grew even angrier, twirling her yo-yo, and moving forward so Adrien stood directly behind her. “Don’t you dare touch him!” Adrien’s heart ached at the gesture. After everything she’d gone through, here she was, as strong as ever, doing everything in her power to protect him, even though he was nothing but a civilian to her.

“Oh? I wonder if you would still care for him if you knew the truth about him,” Void remarked, causing Ladybug to flinch.

“The truth? What are you talking about!” she hissed.

He looked right at Ladybug, his face going serious. “Think about it, Ladybug, Adrien’s father is Hawkmoth. Hawkmoth dies, and through his ashes rises Hawkmoth Jr. The clue is in the title already. Hawkmoth _Junior._ My theory is that Hawkmoth gave his miraculous to Adrien, leaving Adrien to take over the family business. Isn’t that right, Adrien?” Void asked, looking over at Adrien.

Adrien gulped, Void was right, somewhat, but he had to feign innocence. If Void believed himself, then why was Adrien still alive?

“Adrien isn’t Hawkmoth Jr,” Ladybug told him with certainty in her voice.

“And you know that, don’t you, Void? Or else why would I still be alive?” Adrien cut in.

“I only kill people I know deserve it! Yes, you’re only alive because I’m not certain if you’re him or not. But there’s darkness inside you alright. You’re guilty of something, Agreste, and if it isn’t being Hawkmoth Jr, then I intend to find out what,” Void insisted.

“Everyone has some sort of darkness in them,” Ladybug argued, “What are you going to do, go around killing everyone!”

“Like I said,” Void grew angry, “only those who deserve it.”

“And what did that man you hung off the roof do to deserve it,” Adrien hissed cutting in again. Ladybug looked over her shoulder, giving Adrien a warning look, but Adrien chose to ignore it.

“That’s personal business, he helped hurt someone I loved,” Void’s expression briefly turning soft, before glowing with anger again. “Enough! Move Ladybug, I need to speak with Adrien!”

“If you want him, you’ll have to go through me!” Ladybug growled as she prepared to defend, her yo-yo twirling faster than ever.

“Fine then,” Void remarked, as a purple glowing shield materialized from his bracelet, “It seems as though out partnership has ended.”

“We stopped being partners the moment you stabbed that man through the heart,” Ladybug hissed at him. Ladybug looked over her shoulder again, telling Adrien to run. Adrien stepped back a bit, eyeing the situation. Void and Ladybug stood their ground, both daring the other to make the first move. Adrien knew he needed to help Ladybug.

_‘No, wait for them to weaken each other, then taking Ladybug’s earrings and Void’s bracelet will be easy.’_

’No! Help Ladybug fight Void, you can always take her earrings later, but not if she’s dead!’

Adrien watched the two finally face off. Ladybug throwing her yo-yo as Void kept deflecting with his shield. He couldn’t believe the conversation he was having in his head. Yes, his parents took first priority, but letting Void fight Ladybug alone just so she could get weakened? After everything she did for him? Adrien shook his head, it didn’t matter what path he took, he couldn’t stay here as Adrien, he needed to transform into Hawkmoth Jr. Taking a deep breath he quickly turned around, ready to run out of the alleyway and find a place to transform. But instead he bumped into a cop. Adrien gaped in shock, as he saw several police officers in body armor and weapons making their way towards him.

“It’s not safe here kid, let’s go,” the unidentified cop told him, dragging him away, past the officers. Adrien tried to resist, before he saw a helicopter hovering over the adjacent building. Suddenly a bright white beam was shined down from a spotlight above, illuminating the dark alleyway, but mostly Void, as he stopped in his tracks to cover his eyes. Ladybug also stopped attacking, covering her own eyes from the intense light.

“VOID!” yelled a voice through a megaphone, presumably coming from the helicopter. “YOU ARE WANTED FOR TWO COUNTS OF MURDER. YOU ARE SURROUNDED, REMOVE YOUR MIRACULOUS AND YIELD, OR WE WILL BE REQUIRED TO USE LETHAL FORCE!”

Adrien watched as the officers took position, aiming their guns at him. Void turned around, only to see that more officers had come from the other way, thus truly surrounding him. Ladybug moved next to the officers, out of their line of fire.

“Give up Void!” Adrien heard Ladybug yell. “You’re surrounded! Just hand me over your miraculous and no one has to get hurt!”

“Can’t do dots, I still have too much unfinished business here,” Void argued. “I won’t fail her.” Void looked up, seemingly lost in something. He stared at the clear blue sky for a while, before looking back down, turning his attention to Ladybug. He smirked, raising his right hand into the air.

“BLACK HOLE!” Void yelled, as a purple spherical orb materialized in his hand, and instantly grew to the size of a small car.

“FIRE!” one of the officers ordered, as Ladybug crouched down, covering herself with her twirling yo-yo, so as not to get hit by stray bullets. The officer holding on to Adrien crouched with him, but Adrien struggled out of his hold, eventually getting free. He didn’t trust the officers to keep Ladybug safe. Void was unpredictable, especially since his full arsenal of abilities was still unknown to him. Adrien couldn’t transform using the butterfly brooch, but he still couldn’t stand by and let Void potentially hurt her. He had to help as Adrien. He started running, as the firing came to a stop.

“...The hell?” one of the officers gasped, as they all gazed at the sight before them. Void stood unharmed, perfectly still. The bullets were nowhere near his body, nor did they lay on the ground. Ladybug and the officers turned their sights onto the purple sphere hovering above Void, the bullets clung to it, as if drawn by its presence.

“My turn,” Void retorted, bringing his right hand up, and tightly clenching it into a fist. Immediately, the officers were lifted off the ground, drawn towards the orb above them. The helicopter also seemed to be affected by the sphere, as it struggled to stay aloft in one place. Some of the officers who had reloaded, fired their guns again to no effect, as the bullets misdirected onto the orb. Ladybug, still standing on the ground, watched the view in front of her. She wrapped her yo-yo around a group of officers, trying to move them away from the orb, afraid of what would happen if they got too close. The pull was too strong, as she found herself being lifted along. She watched Void materialize a canister, which he promptly smashed on the ground, covering the area in smoke.  Ladybug let go of her yo-yo landing on the ground again, trying to get vision of Void as she waved her hands around.

Adrien ran to Ladybug, his body feeling lighter and lighter as he approached the orb, until he found himself floating in smoke. His momentum was abruptly stopped as two arms grabbed him, pulling him into the opposite direction.

“Gotcha,” Void chirped as he grabbed Adrien mid air.

 “LADYBUG! HELP!” Adrien yelled through the smoke, as Void conjured up a grappling hook.

“Adrien?!” Ladybug panicked, looking around in the smoke. Closing her eyes, she tested her luck, throwing her yo-yo towards the direction of the sound. A sigh of relief releasing as the yo-yo connected, swinging her out of the smoke. The yo-yo was gripped around Void’s arm, Ladybug swinging after him onto a roof.

“Get back here! Let Adrien go!” Ladybug commanded as she chased Void across several rooftops.

Adrien squirmed and struggled, trying his best to release himself from Void’s hold. His attempts only stopping once Void came to a halt at the sound of his bracelet beeping.

 “Damnit!” Void hissed, turning around to meet Ladybug, who had caught up to him and was standing a few feet away.

“Let him go, Void!” she ordered him, her furious and heated expression even making Adrien scared. He would not want to be at the end of that rage. But why was she so enraged for him? She hardly even knew his civilian self.

Void held Adrien with one arm around his neck, his other arm covered his face as Void sighed in defeat. Adrien smirked, this was the end for Void. His miraculous was beeping, meaning he was going to de-transform soon. Ladybug still had her full transformation, not having used her lucky charm. All Ladybug had to do was follow Void until he de-transformed and then easily apprehend his civilian self. And then it would only be him and Ladybug again. He can again focus on bringing his parents back.

Void brought his hand away from his face, looking at Ladybug. “Ladybug, one day Adrien will show his true colors, and then...” Void paused as he looked over his surroundings, scanning the rooftops around him. “...And then you will regret saving his life.” Void suddenly threw Adrien over the rooftop behind him, as he dashed in the opposite direction.

“ADRIEN!” Ladybug screeched running past Void, jumping off the rooftop after him.

Adrien panicked, unable to scream or move as his body froze, feeling nothing but the rush of air moving past him. He was looking down, watching the ground arrive closer to him. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable doom. He thought of Ladybug, how he had probably ruined one of the best friendships he had in the past week, and how she wouldn’t know what happened to him. He thought of Marinette, how much he had fallen in love with her, and how proud his parents would have been of her.

He was jolted out of his thoughts as he felt a string wrap around him, slowing his fall, before a warm body enveloped him, turning him around. He opened his eyes, looking up at the clear blue sky, before he felt Ladybug underneath him hit the ground. He knew their suits were meant to absorb shock damage, but from years of experience, he also knew a fall from that height would still hurt. Ladybug would be lucky if she didn’t bruise her back.

He rolled off her, unharmed. He watched her whine, her face frowning in pain. Adrien was gaping, staring guiltily. She had saved his life, _again._ But this time she had hurt herself in the process. Adrien’s heart pained, he almost wanted to comfort her, tell her he won’t make anymore Akumas. That he will help her against Void as Chat Noir, that she wouldn’t have to be alone anymore. But he couldn’t, atleast not until he had brought his parents back.

Ladybug finally got up, sighing in relief as she eyed Adrien. “Adrien! Oh thank god!” she sniffed as she ran in to hug Adrien.

Adrien looked down, not wanting to face Ladybug as shame spread across his face. He didn’t return the hug, he didn’t deserve it in the first place, not from her.              

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” Ladybug worried, examining Adrien’s body, looking for any damages. Adrien took a deep breath, hiding his emotions, and putting on his fake model smile. He couldn’t let her worry about anything else, especially if it meant her asking questions he couldn’t truthfully answer.

“I’m fine, don’t worry,” he smiled at her, “But, um, will you be okay? You seemed to be in pain just now.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m a little sore, but nothing my miraculous can’t heal!” Ladybug assured, before she raised a hand to cup Adrien’s cheek. “I’m just glad you’re fine.”

Adrien blushed at the contact, frowning as he looked down. Ladybug removed her hand, giving Adrien a quizzical look. She bit her lip, as she watched him sulk, hunching his shoulder.

“Come on, let’s get you home,” she told him as she picked him up, swinging away to Adrien’s home.

 

 

It had been no less than 15 minutes since Ladybug dropped him off in his room, that Nino stormed into his house.

“DUDE!” Nino yelled, as he ran through the gates, hugging Adrien. “It’s all over the news! How you were attacked by Void and Ladybug rescued you!”

Adrien cringed, thinking back to his almost demise as though it hadn’t just happened less than an hour ago.

Nino picked up on his friend’s discomfort. “Sorry, bro,” Nino apologized, “we, uh... don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Adrien smiled at his best friend, leading him into his house. “Thanks Nino...I just want to forget it ever happened. Come on, let’s make up for today by watching a movie. I got one in mind.” Adrien led Nino into his room.

“Oh by the way, Marinette’s on her way over,” Nino told Adrien. “She’s actually the one who called me to tell me about you, I was too busy comforting Alya.”

Adrien remembered the events of earlier today, the message Void had left. He shook his head, he would worry about it later. “How is she? She looked pretty shocked,” Adrien asked, as he turned on his tv.

“She still kinda is,” Nino sighed. “Not gonna lie dude, I am too. I mean yeah, Hawkmoth terrorized Paris for years, but no one ever _died._ And then all of a sudden, this guy shows up, starts killing people left and right. Not to mention that we were _there_ , as Void hung that guy over the roof.” Nino placed his face in his hands, as Adrien sat down next to him on the couch, laying a comforting shoulder over his friend. “But the worst part is, when I saw Void hang him, I couldn’t help but wonder what he did to deserve it.”

Adrien tensed up, making Nino look him in the eyes. “No, don’t get me wrong! I didn’t mean he _did_ deserve to die, but I know for a fact he wasn’t exactly innocent if Void killed him,” Nino blurted out. “Do you know what I mean?” Adrien nodded, he knew what his friend meant. He knew that the man in the tuxedo must’ve done something to deserve Void’s _‘justice’._ Answers he needed to find out in due time.

Nino placed his hand atop Adrien’s shoulder, “I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t be,” Adrien replied, “Ladybug made sure I wasn’t hurt.”

“No, not that,” Nino shook his head, before narrowing his gaze onto Adrien’s, “I don’t know why Void attacked you today, but he might do it again, especially if he thinks you’re guilty of something. You’re not, are you?”

Adrien gave Nino a neutral look, trying his best to hide the flood of emotions threatening to spill onto his face.

_BUZZZZZ_

Adrien had never gotten up faster in his life, sighing in relief at the timing of his buzzer going off.  “M-must be M-Marinette,” Adrien stuttered as he made his way over to the panel, opening the front gates once the video feed showed it was indeed his girlfriend. He waited by the door, refusing to look at Nino, while she made her way into the house, and up to his room.

“Hey!” she greeted opening his bed room door and immediately hugging Adrien. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” she cooed against his chest.

Adrien grinned, returning the hug, “Hey to you too, Mari’” Marinette blushed at the new nickname he had come up with overnight, causing her to tighten the hug. They stood there, in warmth, comforting in each other’s embrace. It hadn’t even been a full day since they professed their love for each other, but their loved seemed to increase exponentially.

“Ahem,” Nino coughed, drawing them out of their little world, both nervously chuckling as they pulled apart. “I feel like a third wheel guys, can we just watch this movie?”

Marinette sat in between Adrien and Nino on the couch. Adrien tensed up during dull parts of the movie, having time to think about Nino’s words. Did Nino suspect something? Paranoia washed over him, as he dared to look over to Nino, who just seemed to be enjoying the movie. Only Marinette seemed to calm him down, as she would give him assuring looks, nuzzling closer to him. He closed his eyes, he didn’t even care what was going on in the movie, even though he had wanted to see it in the first place. He was too focused on Marinette, how even without using words, she tried to soothe him. The way she occasionally rubbed circles in his back, or the way her fingers intertwined among his, or how she teasingly rubbed his toes with her own. Before he knew it, the movie was over, and Nino was getting up.

“Alright, I should go, parents are probably worrying about me” Nino sighed looking at the time. It was evening, and the sun had set. “Besides, I’m pretty sure you lovebirds want some alone time,” he stopped to wink at Adrien, before heading towards his door again.

Adrien blushed, looking stunned at his friend’s remark, as Marinette just giggled. “Goodbye Nino!” she waved after him, as he waved back, before closing the door. Marinette hopped over onto Adrien’s lap, sitting on his thighs. She smiled as she grabbed his cheeks, leaning in to give Adrien a chaste kiss.

“I missed you so much, I’ve been waiting forever to kiss you again,” she giggled.

“We literally just kissed a few hours ago,” Adrien smirked, this time leaning in to initiate the kiss. He deepened the kiss for a second, before Marinette pulled back. She looked at him, her expression frowning.

“Mari?” he asked, noticing the change.

“Are you sure, you’re all right?” she softly asked.

“Mari...” Adrien whined. He was perfectly unharmed after today’s attack. Marinette could tell, so why would she ask...

“Do you feel guilty about your dad?” Marinette blurted out, interrupting Adrien.

“Wh-What!?” Adrien flinched, almost getting off the couch, if Marinette wasn’t sitting on him.

“I mean, uhh,” Marinette closed her eyes, as she struggled to find the words. Adrien gaped at her, scanning her face for clues as to how she was feeling. Did she suspect him too, like Nino? That he was guilty of something, hence why Void targeted him?

“Do you feel like, your dad became Hawkmoth because of you? Because it’s not your fault...”

“I know, and I don’t... feel guilty,” Adrien answered.

“Then... then why do you feel...”

“I think you should go!” Adrien panicked, not wanting her to finish that sentence. He knew what she was going to ask. The same thing Nino did. Now that Void had come after him, she was suspicious that he was guilty of something. And her being the sweet girl she is, thought he might be guilty of causing his dad to become Hawkmoth. She was right to some degree, his dad became Hawkmoth to bring back his mom for _him,_ but why would he feel guilty about that, he didn’t. But he couldn’t also lie to the one girl who loved him back.

“Adrien, I’m sorry!” Marinette yelped, as Adrien stood up, causing her to stumble onto the side. “I wasn’t trying to say you _caused_ your dad to become Hawkmoth. Just that you shouldn’t blame yourself and feel guilty for your dad and what he did.”

Adrien sighed, as turned around to look at his girlfriend, who had now gotten off the couch. “I know what you meant, it’s okay,” he smiled at her. “I just...I need some time, after what happened today. We’ll talk tomorrow okay?”

“Uh, ok...yeah sure,” she smiled at him. She leaned in, Adrien followed and pecked a kiss on her lips. Marinette looked a little disappointed, but she walked past Adrien. “Goodnight, Adrien.”

“Night, Marinette,” Adrien said, not turning around, as Marinette walked out his door.

As soon as he heard the door close behind him, he fell onto the couch, putting his head on his hands, gripping his hair tightly. He was angry. Angry at himself. Aside from his parents, the two people who cared most for him, his best friend and girlfriend, were beginning to suspect him. All because of Void, who seemed to just come out of nowhere and mess his life up for him. He had been so close, when he had created that Brawler akuma. If only Void hadn’t interrupted him, he would have had his parents back, and he would be by Ladybug’s side again, fighting Void. Adrien thought back to earlier today, Void had told Ladybug he wouldn’t be helping  her against Akumas. His anger faded, replaced with hope. With Void out of the picture, he would be back to square one. Just him and Ladybug.

“NOOROO!” Adrien called after the kwami, as he pulled out the butterfly brooch from his pocket.

 

 

“Are we still going at this, Chat?” Ladybug snarled, as she dodged another round of Casino Tokens thrown by Gambler. His latest Akuma had lost his life savings at the Casino, and now he blamed the Casino for rigging the odds against him. Adrien had ordered him to wait for Ladybug at a nearby grass field, so as to cause minimum damage, as well as not allow Ladybug many opportunities to hook her yo-yo.

“Silence!” Gambler hissed, as he materialized another round of tokens in his palm. “Give me your miraculous!” he demanded, flinging the tokens, as Ladybug flipped her way across the field. The tokens missed her, exploding as they hit the grass behind her. They were at a stand off, the Akuma not giving Ladybug time to call her lucky charm, and Ladybug unable to swing to anything other than a tree or park bench.

“Look what Void is doing to this city! I need my partner!”

“How can you keep sending out Akumas, when Void is tearing the city apart with fear.”

“I know Chat Noir is still a part of you. The hero of Paris. Please we need you, come back to us.”

Adrien clenched his eyes, she was right. He knew she was. And he would go back to her, as soon as his parents were back. As soon as he was happy and loved again.

“I will still forgive you, for everything,” Ladybug continued, dodging yet another round of Casino tokens as she swung onto a nearby tree.

Adrien flinched, she was still willing to forgive him? After everything? His Akuma stopped momentarily, his face glowed in the butterfly outline.

“You’ll still forgive him?” Gambler asked, as he paused attacking. Ladybug took this break to relax, eyeing her surroundings, trying to come up with a plan.

“Of course,” Ladybug replied. “You think I haven’t noticed how you make sure your Akumas don’t hurt civilians, or me for that matter? The fact that we’re battling out on an empty field, instead of causing a wreck inside that Casino just proves that. Please Chat, I know you’re after my miraculous, but I know you’re not the evil man everyone thinks you are. You’re not Hawkmoth, nor his successor. You’re just astray, your parents are gone and my earrings won’t bring them back. Please Chat, come back to me, I’m still here.”

Gambler’s face began to glow again and Ladybug took their pause to her advantage. She had said what she wanted to say. She wrapped her yo-yo around Gambler’s legs, dropping him. She quickly ran over, pinning his wrist with her foot, so he couldn’t attack with any more tokens.

“I meant every word, Chat,” she looked into the Akuma’s eyes, into Adrien’s, before she grabbed the item and Adrien’s connection was cut off.

Adrien made his way over to his bed, running Ladybug’s words through his mind. He was almost tempted to go back to her. The doubt in his mind telling him she was right, his parents were gone. She was Ladybug after all, superhero of Paris, no way she could be wrong. No way her Kwami and his Kwami could both be wrong. Plus, she said she would forgive him. Aside his parents, everything could go back to normal. But Adrien knew better. He had found his father’s book, that basically confirmed he was right, about having that ultimate power. That book was the one factor, keeping him going. Sighing, Adrien collapsed onto his bed, hoping for some sweet dreams, preferably of Marinette.

He woke up again in the middle of the night, coated in cold sweat. His nightmare was more personal than last time. He was Gambler, instead of Brawler. And instead of the dark room, he was on a rooftop, the same rooftop he had fallen off of earlier that day. Before him stood Ladybug, defenceless. He would throw his Casino tokens, hitting Ladybug in the chest, causing her to stumble backwards and fall off the roof. Adrien would run after her, leaning over the edge of the roof, only to watch Ladybug fall straight down. The situation would keep repeating time and time again. This didn’t worry Adrien too much, as he would watch Ladybug fall, because he knew she would be safe. But at the last repetition, he watched Ladybug fall, only to de-transform mid-fall. He screamed, jumping after her, reaching his arm outward, trying his best to get to her as fast as he could, but he was too late. She hit the ground, seconds before he did. He felt no pain, as he got on his knees. He looked over to her with tears in his eyes, as Marinette lay before him, lifeless.

Adrien scrubbed his face, desperately trying to get the image of his dead girlfriend out of his head, but to no avail. Adrien sighed, as hot tears ran down his face. This was all Void’s fault. First Jacob intrudes his mind with illusions of him hurting Ladybug more than he would ever allow. And now he was certain Void had made him imagine himself hurting Marinette. He would never hurt Marinette. But then again, hadn’t he probably promised that about Ladybug multiple times. Not just promised, but _actually_ took hits for her, protect her from Akumas, even if it meant he got hurt in the process. Tears rolled down his cheeks, as Adrien openly wept. How had everything gotten so complicated? He just wanted Ladybug’s earrings, use them to bring his parents back, then return them to Ladybug. Everything changed when Void appeared.

Adrien calmed down, relaxing as he got out of the bathroom. He hesitantly walked over to his bed, kneeling down and removing the hidden box underneath. He opened it, removing his Chat Noir ring. Void had made this even more personal, by daring to attack his civilian self. His attack against him, making his two closest friends begin to suspect him. He would be ready next time. He would make sure Void pays for what he’s done.

 

 

It was Monday now, his Sunday had gone by without any disturbances. Void was nowhere to be seen, as the police force continued to search for him. Ladybug helped them too for a while, before she quit, possibly to do civilian duties. He had spent his alone time reading his father’s other book, hoping for any clues, any information that might help him against Void.

Nino, Marinette and Alya had come over to hang out at his place. He was reluctant to invite them over, but the day passed without any trouble. Neither Nino nor Marinette asked him any more questions pertaining to what happened with Void, something Adrien was grateful for. They played Ultra Mecha Strike, and he owed Marinette a kiss whenever he lost. Which was basically every game. They whispered sweet words into each other’s ears, whenever they thought Nino and Alya weren’t listening.

His Akuma that night wasn’t successful. Ladybug kept pleading with him to return the brooch, to give up. Something Adrien had a hard time ignoring, his father’s book being the only factor in his decision.

“Where’s Jacob?” Adrien noticed, coming out of his thoughts of yesterday. He was sitting in the lunchroom, waiting for his girlfriend to show up.

“I don’t think he came to school today, why?” Nino asked, as he opened his food container.

“No reason,” Adrien replied as casually as he could, as he ate his lunch. He knew Jacob had to be Void. The same brown eyes could be brushed off as coincidental. However, eyes that turned black?. But if his black eyes were some sort of miraculous ability, how was he able to pull it off being untransformed?

“Hi!” Marinette greeted the pair, kissing Adrien on the cheek, before sitting beside him. Alya sat across them, beside Nino.

“Hey babe,” Alya greeted Nino with a kiss.

“Oh! Marinette! I forgot to mention this sooner, but Adrien just reminded me,” Nino then put his lunch down, smirking as he looked over to Marinette. “I think you might have some competition.”

“What?” Marinette curiously asked.

“That new guy, Jacob, I’ve seen the way he looks at your boy Adrien,” Nino smiled, winking at Adrien.

“Wh-WHAT!” Adrien quickly blurted out in shock.

The three of them laughed at Adrien’s reaction. Adrien chuckled along, if only to pretend he didn’t know what he did, that he knew who Jacob really was.

“It _is_ true though. Everytime I looked at the guy, he was always ogling Adrien. Granted, he was only here for a day so far, but still...” Alya noted, sipping on her drink.

“Oh it’s okay, there’s plenty of Adrien to go around for all of us,” Marinette teased, nudging Adrien.

“Does that mean I get a piece too?” Nino jested, earning a punch from Alya.

“Sorry Nino, but you’re stuck with me,” Alya stated. Nino rubbed his arm, mouthing _‘help me’_ to Adrien and Marinette, who just chuckled in response.

Even though Adrien put on a neutral face, he was panicking. So his friends noticed Jacob’s curiosity with him too. Did they see his black eyes as well? Did Jacob also bombard them with illusions as he had to him? But most importantly where was Jacob? Was he out there as Void, doing something sinister as he just sat here?

As if on cue, he heard sirens. Tons of them, along with ambulances.

“Woah, what’s going on?” Nino asked, as the four of them packed their lunch, getting up from the table.

“Let’s go check it out!” Marinette demanded, as the four of them left the building, grouping up with the mob forming outside the school. They watched as ambulance after ambulance rushed past them, followed by police cars.

“Where’s Marinette!?” Adrien yelled at Nino, over the chatter of the students outside.

“She was just here!” Nino replied, looking around for their friend.

“I’ll, um, go inside to find her,” Adrien told Nino, who nodded after him.

Adrien ran to the boy’s bathroom, sighing in relief at the emptiness. He was worried about Marinette, but wherever she was, she was definitely safer than where those police cars were headed. Adrien reached into his pocket, moving the brooch away to pull out the ring. He stared at it and gulped, he wasn’t ready to face Plagg. But he had no choice. Slowly, he put on the ring, slipping it back into place. Instantly, Plagg materialized infront of him, hovering in mid air.

“Hey,” Adrien gulped, as stared at the deity before him.

“Hey kid,” Plagg sighed.

“We’ll, uhh... talk later?” Adrien asked, rubbing his arm in guilt.

“Sure...”

“Plagg! Claws Out!” Adrien chanted, before slipping out the bathroom window.

 

 

Chat ran across rooftops, following the ambulances. They led him to a large warehouse. He crouched atop a rooftop, eyeing the situation. He saw paramedics, as well as Ladybug, dragging bodies out of the warehouse and loading them onto the ambulances. He scanned the rooftops, hoping to catch a glimpse of Void, but wherever he was, he was long gone. Chat returned his attention to the sight below him. The men wore the same type of tuxedo as the man from before. He moved around the rooftop, trying to get a better view of the warehouse without being seen by Ladybug. The warehouse was a mess, broken walls and roofs. There was a huge hole in the middle of the roof, under which a bunch of expensive vehicles were grouped up in a pile, all crushed and destroyed. Through the hole in the roof, Chat could see a lot of blood, and one more body being dragged off. Suddenly, ladybugs filled his vision. He watched as they floated around building, repairing everything. The building was as brand as new, and the vehicles were cleanly parked to the side. He watched Ladybug emerge from the building, her talking to some early reporters who managed to make their way here. He watched as she brought her hands up to her earrings, probably because they had started beeping.

Suddenly, Adrien came to a realization. Her earrings were beeping. Meaning she only had a few minutes remaining on her transformation. Meaning if he wanted, he could chase her, until she de-transformed, and then easily take her earrings.

He watched her pick up her yo-yo, getting ready to swing it, before her gaze met his. She corrected her angle, instead swinging to land on his rooftop. He saw her, staring at him, her eyes began to water.

“It’s horrible Chat,” she snobbed, “Void, he killed all of them, except one. He was an undercover cop. Void knew somehow, so he spared his life...he said he was investigating a secret underground criminal organization....Chat?”

Ladybug looked at Chat Noir, who was only paying attention to her earrings. “Are you here to help me, Chat?” she asked.

“No,” Chat simply answered, continuing to look at her. She gasped at his words, taking a step back, as fresh new tears formed on her face. Her body was shaking, she was barely keeping her composure.

“A-are y-you,” she stuttered, sniffling between words, “h-here  for...f-for my m-miraculous?”

“Yes,” Adrien calmly answered. He couldn’t let his emotions show. He had a job to do, and his emotions would only hold him back. He could cry and be ashamed of his actions later, when his parents were back in his arms.

Ladybug wept into her palms, the beeping of her earrings the only thing startling her out of her misery. She looked up, to see Chat slowly walking over to her. Chat’s face was grimaced in pain, as he tried his hardest to not cry himself. Especially knowing he was the one making Ladybug weep. Ladybug stood tall, wiping away her tears.

“Well, I’d be a horrible Ladybug if I didn’t give at least some sort of a fight, right?” Ladybug weakly chuckled, as she wiped away the last of her tears. She took in a deep breath, as Chat answered her back.

“Yeah, you would,” Chat nervously laughed, as a single tear managed to escape his eyes.

He heard another beeping, before Ladybug swiftly turned around, drawing her yo-yo and swinging across the rooftop, running away as fast as she could. Chat chased her. They had never ran this fast before. Simply because none of them were this desperate.

_‘Catch her!’_

_‘Get her earrings!’_

_‘She doesn’t have much time left!’_

_‘Bring your parents home, Adrien!’_

Chat’s heart skipped a beat, as he watched her jump off another rooftop, only to de-transform mid-flight. Her yo-yo disappearing, along with her protective suit. Chat vaulted off the rooftop with his baton, his only intent on catching the girl beneath the suit. He caught her mid-air, cradling her against his chest. He instinctively wrapped his arm behind her head and back, turning so his back would be the one to absorb any damage. For the moment they were in free fall, Chat thought back to when she had been the one to save him. Chat smiled at the thought, closing his eyes, letting fate take over. He felt his back hit the side of a building, before ricocheting into free fall again, only to come to a stop once he hit the ground. He opened his eyes, the fall wasn’t as long as the one Ladybug took, so he was feeling fine. He looked down, onto the girl who had her face up against his chest. She was crying profusely, tears streaming down from her onto his suit.

_‘Take her earrings, quick!’_

Chat slowly brought up his hands, to the girl’s ears. As soon as his claws felt her earlobes, she looked up at him. Her face was wet with tears and snot, but she looked up at him anyways. He recognized that face. It was the face that belonged to the one girl who had always been there by his side. The girl he betrayed. His best friend, and his girlfriend. His partner, and his lover.

His Ladybug.

_His Marinette._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed, please leave a comment and kudos, thanks for reading ^_^


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat and Marinette discover the ugly truth.

No, NO!

It couldn’t be.

_Marinette!?_

It couldn’t be, but it _was_. He watched her de-transform with his own eyes. Caught her frail body with his own arms. Saved her life with his own body.

Chat dared to look at her again as she continued to stare up at him from his chest. Her now fierce, yet frightened, bluebell eyes glistened as tears poured out from them. The same eyes that had saved him countless times. The same eyes that shined with happiness and glee just an hour ago, when he was by her side. Now they radiated fear and pain. All because of _him._

Marinette suddenly got up on her knees and crawled back, maintaining eye contact. Chat watched while she squirmed away, stopping only when she hit the wall only a couple meters back. She leaned against it, bringing her knees up, and crying into her lap, as her hands covered her hand.

Chat struggled to slowly get up on his feet, shaking. He was still in shock. There was so much on his mind, so much happening, that he couldn’t comprehend everything, not yet. He watched Marinette’s small, huddled form, listening to her muffled weeps and sobs.

Chat hesitantly took a step closer to her, his right arm reaching outward. He wanted to comfort her, hold her, but _he’d_ been the one to cause her such pain. He took another step closer to her, and another one.

“I...I... _Marinette?_ ” Chat gulped, praying that by some miracle he was wrong. That the girl before him was just similar to his girlfriend. Because then, he would only have hurt his closest friend in the world, not the one he fell in love with. Marinette looked up at him at the mention of her name, removing any lingering doubts in his mind. She grit her teeth, as her hands rose to meet her right earlobe.

“Marinette...?” Chat gasped, continuing to look in horror as she pulled her first earring out. Marinette then closed her eyes, as her shaking hands made their way to her left earlobe. Chat’s eyes widened, watching her closely. She hesitated for a while, her hands hovering over her left earrings as she continued to sniff back tears. When she finally took off her earring, she cupped them in one hand and brought them close to her heart. Chat winced at the gesture, how would he feel in her position? For him, the freedom was too much to lose. The fact that he saved lives, made a difference in the city was too much to give up. He had made a friend who loved him, a city that praised him, and a Kwami who cared for him, all because of one piece of jewellery. To see Marinette carry that much affection for her own earrings almost made him nauseous. Even though he knew very well he was going to return them, _he was_.

Marinette finally opened her watery eyes, giving her earrings one final look. She quickly turned her gaze to Chat, before throwing her earrings at him.

“HERE! Take the damn earrings!” she bellowed in fury, as Chat caught the earrings in mid air.

Chat looked back into those resenting eyes, knowing full well he would be torn apart left and right if she was still transformed. “Marinette...L-Ladybug...” Chat stammered, not knowing what to say. What could he say?

“Go away Chat!” Marinette snarled, gritting her teeth. “Go do what you have to do!”

Chat opened and closed his mouth as his body stood frozen. His mind was still reeling at the fact that Ladybug was Marinette. He just stood there, watching her, not heeding to her desperate plea. She hugged herself, rubbing her arms up and down as she softly cried to herself. Chat subconsciously took another step towards her. She snapped her head up to his.

“Please Chat, just leave me alone,” she whimpered, before closing her eyes and looking down at the ground again, letting her tears freely flow.

Chat saw her cries, a memory returning to him. A memory of when he had first kissed Marinette, on that fateful late night. When she had confided in him, and cried into his arms. Chat’s eyes widened in dread, as realization dawned over him. He took a step backwards, his mind working overtime, putting the puzzle pieces in his mind together. _He_ had been the one to hurt Marinette, because he hurt Ladybug. Every encounter, every interaction he had with Ladybug, he envisioned Marinette instead. His dreams and nightmares of hurting Ladybug, he had been hurting Marinette as well. When Brawler hurt Ladybug that night, he had hurt Marinette. When Ladybug had witnessed a murder that night at the hands of Void, while his Akuma tried to take her earrings, Marinette had been the one underneath the suit, suffering. He should’ve been by her side then, but he wasn’t. And thus, she endured so much, that she had ultimately come to _him_ for comfort and relief. The irony of it all would’ve been amusing, if not for the gravity of the situation.

Chat continued to walk backwards, creating space between him and her. He couldn’t be here. He was the source of her pain. He needed to leave, he shouldn’t stay, shouldn’t cause her any more agony. Chat looked down at the earrings; he wouldn’t let her suffering be in vain. However temporary, since he had every intention of returning the jewellry. He still had a job to do, and once he had the love of his parents again, he could focus on his love for the only girl he had ever loved, if there was anything left to be salvaged. Chat closed his eyes, clenching his fists, before vaulting onto the nearest rooftop and dropping his transformation.

Adrien held her earrings tightly in one hand, drawing deep breaths. He needed to focus; his parents needed him. Plagg zipped in front of him, frowning.

“Well? What are you waiting for kid? You got her earrings, don’t you?” Plagg said dryly, staring right into his chosen’s eyes with a plain expression.

Adrien stared back at his Kwami, before looking away in shame, “Plagg, Marinette is Ladybug.”

“I know,” Plagg simply replied.

“What? You...you knew!?” Adrien exploded.

“Yeah, I always sensed her Kwami around her, so I figured she must be Ladybug,” Plagg answered, keeping his cool.

“Wha- YOU KNEW THIS ENTIRE TIME?!” Adrien spat at him. “Plagg! Why didn’t you tell me! Why didn’t you tell me that one of my friends was the same girl I was trying to hurt by trying to take her earrings?”

“Would that have stopped you?” Plagg asked.

“Plagg! She’s my girlfriend now, we’ve become much closer in the past few days!” Adrien continued to argue.

“Like I said, would that have stopped you?” Plagg repeated.

Adrien flinched, turning away from his Kwami. Would that have made a difference? If he knew Marinette was Ladybug when he first decided to take her earrings? Adrien closed his eyes; he didn’t want to know the answer. He didn’t want to know what he would have done.

“Well, what are you waiting for kid?” Plagg zipped back in front of Adrien, “you have her earrings now. Go do your thing. Go bring them back.”

Adrien looked at his Kwami, he knew Plagg was mocking him. But Plagg didn’t know about that new book. He would show him, he _would_ bring his parents back. Adrien stared at his Kwami while sliding his ring off, watching as Plagg vanished in front of him. Adrien held his ring in his left hand, while her earrings lay in his right. Adrien closed his eyes, thoughts wandering to everything that led him to here. After alll the years of loneliness, he would be loved again, by his mom and his dad. His empty, cold house would now feel warm, and welcome. He would no longer spend holidays alone. He thought of being embraced in his mother’s arms once again, after years of no physical contact. _But he was wrong._ Marinette embraced him every day, whether it was hugs or kisses. Adrien found himself smiling briefly, as he thought about their first kiss that day, or the ones they would always share at school. Or how she would hold him when they were comfortable in each other’s grasp.

Adrien took a deep breath, letting go of any emotions that would cause him to hesitate on his actions. What was done, was done. And now his parents waited for him. Adrien recalled the phrasing in the book. _‘Fusing the miraculous will grant ultimate power’._ Adrien, with all the power he can muster, smashed the jewellery together, hoping whatever magic that was contained in them, would cause them to fuse into one _thing_ or _something_ , that would bring his parents back. But nothing happened, the earrings and ring lay in his hands.

Adrien frowned. He squeezed his fists together, waiting, hoping, for something to happen. But nothing did. He opened his hands, the jewellery still there. No, this wasn’t possible, the book _couldn’t_ be wrong. _His dad_ couldn’t be wrong. Adrien tried again, mustering all his power into his hands. Nothing. Adrien tried again and again. Each time using different methods. Using his feet to fuse them together. Jumping on them, throwing them at each other. Each failed attempt adding to the dread building up inside him. He was doing it wrong. That had to be it. He couldn’t be wrong. _He just couldn’t._ But there he was, smashing the jewellery together for the hundredth time, expecting for something, _anything,_ to happen, only to be rewarded with nothing. Just three plain pieces of jewellery. Adrien dropped onto his knees, staring at the jewellery, expecting the answer to unveil itself to him. But nothing happened. He stared at the jewellery for moments, while tears built up inside him. But before they could spill onto his face, Adrien stood up, as an idea invaded his mind.

What if _fusing_ the miraculous meant wearing both of them. Wearing the ring alongside the earrings. Adrien quickly put on the ring, intent on testing his theory. He would do anything at this point. He was desperate, he had her earrings and he was this close. It couldn’t possibly end like this.

“So, how did it go?” Plagg arrogantly asked, already knowing the answer.

“Plagg! Claws Out!” Adrien yelled, not giving his Kwami a second thought.

His transformation washed over him, and he stood there with the earrings in his hands. “This is it,” Chat mumbled to himself. He was out of ideas, if this one didn’t work...No it had to, he wouldn’t dare to think otherwise. Chat brought up one earring, piercing his left earlobe, drawing a trickle of blood. Chat did the same with his right, hesitating as the earring floated beside his ear. This was it, he would put on the earring, tell Ladybug’s Kwami to transform him, and then...

Adrien didn’t finish his thought as the moment the earring pierced his skin, a new, second transformation overwhelmed him. Chat closed his eyes, feeling power surge throughout his body. He felt light, powerful, _extremely powerful._ He opened his eyes once the transformation was complete, to realize why he felt light. He was floating above the rooftop.

Chat suddenly dropped, landing on his feet and gaping in awe. He was shocked, confused, but most importantly, ecstatic. _Something_ happened. He was right; all he had to do was wear both miraculous at the same time. And now he felt powerful, powerful enough to bring back his parents.

Chat looked down, examining his new suit as best as he can. He had red boots and gloves, while the rest of his suit stayed the same black, save for the red dots splattered across them. He still had his kitty ears, and tail. And now instead of just a baton, he had Ladybug’s yo-yo as well. But atop his tail, was something entirely brand new. He looked at his reflection off a nearby window, only to freeze once he realized why he had been floating earlier. A new set of red wings were fitted on his back, like a ladybug’s. Chat tensed his shoulders, making the wings flutter. He tensed harder, this time launching him off the roof and into the air. Chat was in free fall for a moment, before falling back down. He would need some time to get used to these wings. But that didn’t matter, because he was going to give the earrings back.

Chat carefully landed onto a different rooftop, beaming with excitement. The book was right after all! Not only did he know he had ultimate power, but he definitely felt like he did. As Chat Noir, he knew he could lift a bus, but in this suit, he felt like he can lift the entire Eiffel Tower. Not to mention he can fly, use two weapons at once, and perhaps both cataclysm and lucky charm as well. But Chat shook his head, this new found power didn’t mean anything, he just needed it to bring his parents back.

Right, his parents. Maybe he needed to will his parents into existence? Chat closed his eyes, focusing on the images of his parents. He opened his eyes again, hoping to see them. But no one was there. Perhaps he needed to call it out, like his cataclysm?

“BRING BACK MY PARENTS!” Chat shouted into thin air, hoping whatever magic was currently running in his body would listen to his plea, but nothing happened.

Chat recoiled at the emptiness of the situation. “BRING BACK MR. AND MRS. AGRESTE!” Chat yelled, hoping being more specific would help. “BRING GABRIEL AGRESTE AND FELICIA AGRESTE BACK FROM THE DEAD!” Chat yelled, immediately looking around as if they would emerge from thin air.

Chat’s inner dread began to resurface again. No this wasn’t possible; he was just doing it wrong. After all, he had gotten this far, he had _ultimate power_. The book was right; he was just doing something wrong. Yeah that had to be it. Chat had come this far, surely doing some more research wouldn’t matter, especially where his parents were concerned. With that Chat leapt into the air, choosing to fly to his house, as it was faster than vaulting across rooftops. He had accomplished taking the earrings, now he just needed to know _exactly how_ his parents would be brought back. Hopefully Nooroo would have some more answers. He had been making the poor Kwami stay up at nights, reading through the second, larger book he had found in his father’s safe.

 

 

Chat crashed through his bedroom window, failing to slow down in time. He got up with no problems, as the suit protected him with any shards. But the suit couldn’t muffle the noise.

“Sir, is everything all right in there?” a familiar voice called from his door. Must be one of the many staff that still took care of his temporarily empty mansion. Natalie had basically stopped coming, seeing as she was unneeded, same said for Gorilla.

“Shit,” Chat mumbled to himself. “Yes! Everything is fine! In fact, take the day off! Tell the rest of the staff too!”

“But Sir,” the staff member argued, “your dinner?”

“It’s an order!” Chat barked.

“Yes, Sir” the man obliged.

Chat sighed in relief. He can now wander his house transformed in peace. He walked over to where his brooch remained hidden. Chat clipped on the brooch, hoping the Kwami would offer some more insight.

“Nooroo!” Chat called out. “Nooroo!”

Nooroo materialized, floating up around Chat, taking in his new features.

“I see that you were successful in taking Ladybug’s earrings,” Nooroo noted.

“Yes Nooroo, the book was right. Her earrings made me more powerful. I can fly, use two weapons, and I feel stronger than ever,” Chat explained. “But I don’t know how to bring my parents back. Did you find anything in that strange book?”

“No,” Nooroo sadly shook his head. “All the book contained was pictures and details of various miraculouses. Nothing in it about combining your miraculous.”

“Are you sure?” Chat asked out of desperation. “There must be something in that huge book!”

“I’m certain; I just recently finished reading the book last night when you were sleeping,” Nooroo answered.

“Damnit!” Adrien hissed to himself, walking over to the table where he kept the smaller book, the one that he found in his father’s desk. “There must be something in here, something we missed the first time around,” Adrien argued, as he quickly flipped through the pages of the book. Nooroo was reading quietly alongside him, hoping to catch something the Kwami might have missed the first time. Chat briefly stopped at the familiar page, the one that had previously confirmed he was on the right track. “Anything?” Chat asked Nooroo, desperation in his voice.

“No,” Nooroo sighed. “It’s still the same phrase repeating again and again. ‘ _Fusing the miraculous will grant ultimate power’_.”

Chat urgently flipped to the next page, and then the next. “Anything!?” Chat looked to the Kwami, hoping for an answer, but all he received was silence. Tears started to well up in his eyes as Chat landed on the very last page. Chat hesitantly looked towards the Kwami again, only to be answered with the shake of his head.

Chat threw the book away, as he brought his hands up to his face to sniff into. Both books proved useless, at least when it came to bringing his parents back.  He didn’t want more power like the smaller book promised, he wanted his parents.  Panic started to build up inside him, as Chat began to question his choices.

No, stop it. Chat shook his head, wiping away his tears. He had come so far, he wouldn’t give up now. Everything he had done, everything he had ruined, it would not be for in vain. He had found two books belonging to his father. Surely more awaited him, answers his father had that he didn’t. Answers that remained hidden inside the vast maze he called a house.

Picking himself up, Chat ran towards his father’s office. The large desk that had produced the book that had started Adrien on his path; remained dusty and forgotten.

“Nooroo, there has to be more,” Chat argued, “more books, more _something_ , that my dad might have had hidden from you. I’m sure it contains how to bring back my parents after achieving this ultimate power.”

“Maybe,” Nooroo shrugged, as he watched Chat walk over to the desk, raising his hand.

“CATACLYSM,” Chat cried out, before bringing his hand down. The desk quickly dissolved into nothing, as its contents spilled out, drawn to the floor by gravity. Chat got on his knees and quickly rummaged through the piles of books and papers. He was looking for something, _anything_ , that would inform him on what to do next. Maybe he needed his parents’ bodies to bring them back to life? Maybe there was a certain phrase, or ritual he needed to partake in? Perhaps he needed to speak in whatever language was written in the book, to bring back his parents? He would do those, he would do _anything,_ now that he was so close.

After several minutes of viewing and glancing through everything, Chat realized his answers weren’t in the desk. Only a bunch of business reports and the such. But no matter, his dad was a smart man, he wouldn’t hide everything in one place. Chat quickly got on his feet, making his way over to the huge painting, opening it to reveal the safe. Chat was about to call on the Kwami to open it when he realized something. He was still transformed; his ring hadn’t started beeping after using his Cataclysm. Maybe he would never have a time limit in his new suit? Or was there more to it? Chat slowly placed his palm on the safe. He closed his eyes, wondering if he would be correct or not.

“Cataclysm!” Chat slowly yelled out, before opening his eyes to see the safe dissolve into nothing. Chat found himself grinning at his new found powers. On top of everything the suit had provided, he was now able to use multiple Cataclysms without retransforming. The already powerful suit, was made even more powerful.

Chat snapped himself out of his temporary happiness, he wasn’t here for power. Chat looked through the safe, looking for anything miraculous. But alas, he found nothing. But Chat wouldn’t give up, his father hid one book in the safe, and another in his desk. Surely there must be more scattered throughout the house, he just needed to find them.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

Chat destroyed another, smaller table, again frowning when nothing of worthy came of it.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

Another table.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

More furniture, more couches and desks.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

As Chat moved on from his father’s office, to his father’s room. Surely he must have kept something here.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

As his father’s huge bed disintegrated, leaving behind nothing.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

As more and more furniture’s fell, revealing behind nothing but papers, and various personal belonging.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

As Chat tore apart his father’s wardrobe, desperately hoping for _anything_ to reveal itself.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

As Chat moved from room to room. Destroying everything that could possibly hide something.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

Maybe that small night table contained his answers? Perhaps inside that potted plant?

_‘CATACLSYM’_

Maybe his father hid something inside his kitchen? Inside the oven, the fridge? Cabinets? Drawers?

_‘CATACLSYM’_

As his piano fell, followed by anything else that stood in his way.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

As Adrien finally made it to his room, the only room left unharmed. Adrien entered, as tears welled up in his eyes. Horror and dread warming its way through his body.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

As his arcade machines gave way to a litter of coins.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

As his room got impossibly emptier and emptier, his agony only increasing. This was it, everything he had fought for, led to this moment.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

And he had won, hadn’t he? The book was right, Plagg was right, Ladybug’s Kwami was right.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

He had gained ultimate power, but his parents weren’t coming back, were they?

_‘CATACLSYM’_

They were gone, and instead of grieving for their loss and move on, he was stupid enough to misunderstand a book.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

He had ruined everything, for nothing. Ladybug hates him, Marinette does too. He couldn’t lie to her as Adrien. He needed to tell her the truth.

_‘CATACLSYM’_

Chat yelled, as he watched his bed disappear, leaving behind only the box hidden beneath it. Chat sat down, as he stared at the vastly empty room before him where only a handful of things remained scattered on the ground. That was it, there was nothing else to destroy. Nothing else that he hoped would leave behind a clue, or information on how to bring his parents back.

Chat picked up his yo-yo and yelled out the miraculous ladybug, it repaired all the damage he had caused. Shortly after he removed the earrings, returning back to his normal Chat self. He felt the loss of power, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want power, he wanted his parents. And now not only where they gone, but he had ruined the two best things that had ever happened to him. He saw Nooroo float up to him, but Chat wanted to be alone, so he removed the brooch as well.

Chat wept into his arms, his breath becoming ragged and uneven, as tears flooded the floor beneath him. He was truly empty now. He had no one, _no one._ First he lost his mother. Then he lost his father because his father was delusional enough to believe he could bring his mother back. Just as delusional as Chat had become. Now, he had lost the only girl he ever loved. A girl he somehow managed to fall in love with twice. Sure she didn’t know he was Adrien. But he could never do that to her. He could never muster up a smile, knowing he was the one who made her frown. He could never face her again, because he didn’t deserve her. She didn’t deserve someone like him, who willingly hurt others, to get what he wanted.

Chat started wailing at the thought, as his cries echoed of his room. He shuddered at the image of what he had become, what he did to get to this point. He didn’t deserve friends like Nino or Alya. If they knew the truth, they would never speak to him again. He didn’t deserve Plagg, the one Kwami who always stood by his side, supported him. And then when it came time for _him_ to trust and listen to Plagg, he had tossed the Kwami away like nothing. He didn’t deserve the powers he had been entrusted with, because he abused them. He was no hero, the events of the past week as proof.

Chat wiped away the tears streaks on his face, and the snot building up in his nose. Chat continued to sob and sniff into the room, as his breathing began to calm down. Adrien knew what he had to do now. He was all alone now, with three miraculous he didn’t deserve. He called off his transformation, as Plagg zipped in front of him.

“I’m so sorry, Plagg,” Adrien cried. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

“I know kid,” Plagg sighed, nuzzling Adrien’s cheek as his tears dried. “It’s okay now, everything will be fine. Just calm down.”

“Everything’s not fine,” Adrien argued back. “I ruined everything. I don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve anything.”

“That’s not true! Listen to me, you didn’t mean any of this to happen! You were just misguided by your stupid dad. You’re not him, and you never were. You just made a mistake!” Plagg asserted.

“No, no, you’re wrong,” Adrien shook his head. “I made my own choices, and because of them people suffered, Ladybug suffered. Paris doesn’t deserve a hero like me, they deserve someone better. Ladybug deserves someone better.”

Plagg’s eyes widened in horror, “What are you saying, Adrien?”

Adrien gave his Kwami a sad smile. “You changed my life for the better, you know that?” Adrien told him, while petting him with a finger. “I’ll never forget you, I’ll always love you. Goodbye, Plagg.” Before Plagg had a chance to retort, Adrien removed his ring, sniffling as Plagg vanished in front of him. Now he was truly alone. After several moments of wallowing in grief, Adrien stood up slowly, shaking as his legs trembled. He made his way over to his phone to text Marinette that he was coming over. He was slightly surprised that she had texted him first.

 **Marintte:** _hey adrien, could you come over to my place for a second? I really need you, pls_

Adrien sobbed, Marinette wanted to see him, most likely because he had caused her pain as Chat. She wanted comfort in him, but he wouldn’t provide any. He knew going over to her place would only cause her more distress, because of what he was about to do, but she needed to know the truth.

**Adrien:** _coming._

With that Adrien put the phone in his pocket, making his way into his bathroom to look presentable.

 

 

Adrien entered the bakery, doing everything in his power to look calm and neutral.

“OH! Adrien!” Sabine exclaimed from behind the counter. “Marinette’s waiting for you in her room. Be carefully, okay hun? She doesn’t look so good.”

Adrien simply nodded, not trusting himself to talk at the moment. He climbed the stairs, each step becoming more and more difficult as he approached her room. His body was too heavy, as he stepped on the final step, before needing to open her door latch. He wanted to dismiss his earlier plans, forget everything as Adrien and pretend he wasn’t Chat. He opened the latch and caught her sketching on her chaise, with a frown on her face. He wanted to comfort her as Adrien, tell her everthing was all right, that Chat would never hurt her again. But he couldn’t, she deserved the truth, and he deserved anything but the love she would return to him.

“Adrien,” Marinette hummed, gesturing him to sit beside her as she put her sketchbook away. “Thanks for coming,” she smiled at him. The moment he sat down on the chaise, she side hugged him. Adrien tensed up, as the warmth and comfort was too much to bear. He didn’t deserve it. He should be pushing her away, and telling her the truth. Marinette pulled away from the hug and cupped Adrien’s cheek.

“Adrien? What’s wrong?” Marinette softly asked.

Adrien closed his eyes, not daring to cry in front of her. This moment wasn’t about him, he should be telling her everything. Why wouldn’t his mouth move damnit.

“Adrien, look at me,” Marinette ordered, turning his face with her hands, so he was looking sideways at her. “Open your eyes, Adrien.”

Adrien did so slowly, watching Marinette sigh at the fresh new tears forming in his eyes.

“Oh Adrien,” Marinette cooed, while wiping away his tears, “What’s wrong?”

Adrien couldn’t believe how wonderful the girl before him was. Here she was, rightfully hurt because of something he’d done, and yet she was caring for him instead. He truly, _truly_ , did not deserve her.

Adrien opened his mouth, telling himself to mouth the truth that would cause her more pain, that would break this relationship once and for all. But instead he found himself telling her a different truth. “My parents are dead,” Adrien cried, as his began to sob and weep. Marinette took his head into her shoulders, gently rubbing his back, trying to relax him.

“My...my parents are dead...and I’m all alone now,” Adrien cried into her.

“It’s okay Adrien, you’re not alone. You have me, you will always have me,” Marinette tried to assure Adrien, but he simply shook his head along her shoulders, as his tears stained her shirt.

“I-I-I,” Adrien hyperventilated, unable to finish his sentence. Adrien will never have this moment again. He was already pushing his luck with her. He will never again feel how comforting she is. How much she was trying to make him feel welcome in her life, by assuring him she will be always there for him. But he knew better, he knew this was the last time he would be welcome in her arms.

“Breathe Adrien, breathe,” Marinette patted his back, as Adrien began to calm down. “Breathe, I’m here, everything will be okay,” Marinette further ushered him.

“No, it won’t be,” Adrien retorted, pulling away from her shoulder as he wiped away his tears. “I’m so sorry, Marinette,” Adrien sniffed, “you deserve to know the truth.”

“The truth?” Marinette gave him a puzzled look. “What are you talking about Adrien?”

“I just wanted to bring my parents back. I wanted to be loved again. But I was so fixated on that, I couldn’t see the love already given to me by you. I was so blinded by my past, I failed to see my future with you. And now because of my foolishness, I lost both,” Adrien explained. “I hurt you, my partner, and I hurt the city I loved so much. I’m so sorry.” He watched Marinette’s eyes widen. Adrien could tell the exact moment when her mind put all the pieces together, because she panicked, backing up until she hit the end of her chaise. She froze there, eyeing his body, possibly imagining him in his Chat Noir suit.

“Ch-Chat!?” Marinette gulped. Adrien nodded, as he went into his pocket, and pulled out the 3 miraculous hidden inside his fist. Marinette’s face grew anxious, as Adrien brought his hands over to her. He slowly opened his palm, revealing her earrings, the brooch and his ring. Marinette quickly grabbed her earrings, putting them on immediately.

Adrien gave her a weak smile, “I told you I’d bring the back.” Marinette was not amused, instead she stayed in her position, waiting for him to make a move. He knew she was conflicted, he can see it on her face. She wanted to run away from her partner, but also stay with her boyfriend.

“This is the butterfly brooch,” Adrien told her, placing the brooch in front of her, as she picked it up and examined it. “And this is my ring,” Adrien, with his hands trembling, placed it in front of her. She didn’t pick it up, looking at him in surprise.

“I don’t deserve it,” Adrien explained, looking away in guilt. “I’m not the partner you need, and the hero Paris deserves.”

“But...” Marinette opened her mouth to protest, but she couldn’t say anything. Adrien smiled at her, even after everything, she wanted him to keep his ring. Even if her silence indicated she herself couldn’t think of any reasons he should.

“Find someone you trust with the ring,” Adrien instructed her, “you deserve a better partner than I ever was to you.” He watched her pick up the ring, inspecting it. “You need to find Jacob,” Adrien told her, as she flinched, with a puzzled look on his face. “He’s the civilian behind Void,” Adrien explained, clearing her confusion.

“Oh...,” was the only thing Marinette said, as Adrien then got up from the chaise. He made his over to the door latch, glancing back at Marinette who was watching him.

“I’m sorry for everything, Marinette,” Adrien sighed, clenching his eyes before more tears can form. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I hope one day you can forgive me.”

Adrien ran out the bakery, sprinting as fast as he could to his house. He fell against his bedroom door as it closed, weeping into his palms. His cries echoed off the walls, only to end up back in his ears. He was truly alone now. Plagg was gone. His parents were gone. She was gone.

Adrien managed to crawl into bed as the dim light of the morning entered his room. He was exhausted and his eyes had run dry. He slept until his staff started knocking on his door, prepared to give him his lunch. He has a text message from Nino, asking whether him and Marinette had skipped class together. Adrien simply sighed and ignored the message. He ate his lunch and fell back to sleep.

He woke up again during dinner time, to find Nino had asked if he could come over. Adrien ate his dinner without replying. He checked the Ladyblog, anxious to see if Marinette had chosen a new Chat Noir yet. What he got instead were more victims of Void. They were found with notes on their body, notes explaining what crime they had committed. Adrien cringed reading the various comments left all over the internet. It seemed half of the people were happy criminals were being taken care of, whereas others were unhappy about the means. Adrien wanted to catch Void, but he had no right. Instead he dozed back to sleep, trusting Marinette and her new partner would take care of things.

The cycle continued for the rest of the week. Adrien never left his room the entire time. His staff was worried, but no one cared enough to do anything other than their jobs. Adrien just slept, recalling his mistakes. Wishing he could change everything, be he couldn’t. He looked at the Ladyblog every day, watching footage of Ladybug running about, still without a partner. Bodies continued to show up, as Void left his mark across the city. He continued to get texts from Nino, asking if he was okay, if he could come over. Marinette had apparently not come to school since either, which made Adrien even more guilty. He had now affected her academic life, on top of everything else. Jacob was missing as well, which worried Adrien, it only meant he was up to no good.

It was Friday now, and Adrien had told Nino he would finally be coming in seeing as he had a test that day. Adrien walked into class, sighing in relief as he found Marinette’s seat empty, as well as Jacob’s. He suddenly remembered the dance was today. He had been looking forward to it since he asked Marinette out. Now he would never experience what it would be like to hold her in his arms, as she twirled around him. Adrien composed himself, telling his friend generic excuses so they wouldn’t worry too much. He wasn’t worth fussing over. The rest of the school day went by as normal as he could wish for. Alya and Nino generally left him alone, with Nino giving Adrien comforting gestures throughout the day. They didn’t even ask about Marinette, which he was grateful for.

“You know, you can always tell me anything, bro,” Nino patted his shoulder, as they stood outside after school. Everyone was still inside, getting ready for the dance later today.

“I know, thanks Nino,” Adrien smiled at him, before turning to walk home.

“You sure you don’t want to come to the dance? You don’t need to have a date to have fun!” Nino tried to reason with him.

“No thanks, Nino,” Adrien waved at Nino, who just sighed and returned the wave, walking back into the school.

Adrien was walking home, only a couple blocks away from his house now, when he heard the frighteningly similar voice come from behind him.

“Where are you going, champ? You’re going to miss the dance!”

Adrien’s world went to black, before he had a chance to turn around and defend himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading hope you enjoyed ^_^


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Void finds out everything and Chat Noir returns.

Adrien woke up to the noise of music blaring in the background. He slowly opened his eyes, wincing as he felt pain at the back of his head. Light flooded his eyes, and Adrien took in his surroundings. He was in a small room, packed with brooms, mops and other cleaning equipment. Janitors closet perhaps? Adrien tried to move, but ended up panicking at the realization of the predicament he was in. His mouth was taped shut, for he couldn’t speak or shout. His arms were behind his back, tied together by rope, as well as his legs. And then Adrien heard him, pacing somewhere behind him. The man who had apparently bound and kidnapped him. _Void._

“...Do whatever it takes to find him...I know he’s in this city!...I don’t care how much it costs just get it done!”

Adrien’s eyes widened as his panic increased tenfold. It was one thing to be kidnapped by a stranger who only wanted your money. But by Void, who wanted to kill him? Adrien forced himself to take a deep breath. Whoever Void and his buddy were, they hadn’t noticed him waking up, meaning he had an advantage. Adrien slowly squirmed his body, making no sudden movements. He tried to get to the door in front of him. Maybe he can use his core strength to reach the doorknob, and open it with his face? He had to try _something._

“DragonFire killed your family; don’t you want to avenge them? What would your dad say if...”

Adrien stopped, as he heard Void pause mid conversation. Adrien tried to stay perfectly still, but he could feel Void’s eyes on him. Adrien hoped he didn’t see him, but with Void behind him, Adrien didn’t know what to expect. Anxiety overcame him, as he waited for a sign that he was in the clear and could resume his escape.

“...I’ll call you back later.”

And with that Adrien had his answer. He heard the steps behind him get louder, and Adrien knew he was caught. But Adrien wouldn’t give up. He moved as quickly as he could, with desperation coursing through his body. He barely reached the door when Void grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him backwards. Adrien fell on his back, now staring into the black goggles above him.

Adrien tried to scream at him, but his mouth wouldn’t open. He tried to punch or kick, but his arms and legs were bound. He was helpless, and at Void’s full mercy. Adrien let go of his struggling, he had no control over this situation. He couldn’t even talk his way out, somehow convince Void he wasn’t Hawkmoth Jr, which would be the truth now. His life now hanged in the hands of fate.

“You’re pretty unique, you know that?” Void remarked, crouching alongside Adrien. “I’m pretty sure you’ve figured out I’m Jacob. I mean you’re not _that_ dumb to not put two and two together. It was my eyes, wasn’t it? The whole going black act?” Void paused, as if Adrien was able to give an answer. Adrien just watched him, his eyes full of fury. “I had myself put into your class, to see if my suspicions of the son taking over his dad’s reign were correct. Of course, I wasn’t prepared for you to resist me like you did that day.”

Adrien thought back to the first day he met Jacob, when he had that vision of witnessing Ladybug being punched by Brawler. But what did that vision have to do with Void and how he _resisted_ him? Was him carrying the butterfly brooch at the time make him able to resist another miraculous user’s powers? Just like how Ladybug was unaffected by Void’s ‘Black Hole’ ability?

“But even though you somehow resisted me, I saw darkness in you. And I have ways of looking deeper into said darkness. Which is what I was about to do when I found you in that alleyway, had Ladybug not rudely interrupted me. She’s quickly becoming a nuisance, what with her _‘heroes don’t kill people’_ spiel,” Void mocked, briefly looking away from Adrien. He then got up, walking behind Adrien as he continued to talk. Adrien tried his best to follow him, by looking over his shoulder.

“The plan for today, Agreste, is that I’m finally going to reveal and humiliate you to your classmates, and hopefully the world, if that blogger friend of yours records us.” Adrien briefly saw a knife hover in his field of view, before disappearing again. He felt Void behind him, and his ropes cut free from his legs. Adrien wanted to run, or at least _try_. But with Void currently transformed, he knew he would never make it far, especially being unable to yell for help. He would have to wait, and bide his time.

“I’m going to drag you up on that stage and make you cry out in pain as I look for my answers. If I’m right about who I think you are, I’m going to make you confess, before taking your life.” Adrien then understood the gravity of the situation. The music in the background, the familiar janitor’s closet he had sometimes gone to transform throughout the years. He was in his school, and Void was going to reveal him in front of his friends. His life was going to end, with his friends watching, and knowing about what he had done to this city, to Ladybug. Adrien closed his eyes, maybe he deserved it. Maybe this was justice, for what he’d done. After all, his dad died for being Hawkmoth, why shouldn’t he?

“Enough moping around, champ. We have a dance to get to.” Adrien was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and lifted up so he stood on his own two feet. Void didn’t let go, as he dragged Adrien out the door, and into the hallways.

The music was getting louder and louder, as Adrien became more and more anxious. The school seemed empty, except he knew everyone was in the gym. Nino had volunteered to D.J. It was the only way the school allowed the dance, so as to not spend unnecessarily more money. As Adrien was dragged behind the gym, through the doors leading to the stage, Adrien cringed. His best friend would be the first one to see him. How would he react? To seeing Adrien bound up and in the hands of Void. He thought back to that day when Nino had asked him if he was guilty of something. He would finally get his answer. And how would Nino react? Would he be happy, to see his best friend get what he deserves? Adrien didn’t want to think about it, if only because he would witness it firsthand.

As expected Nino was horrified, as he saw Adrien being dragged on stage by Void.

 “A-ADRIEN!?” Nino yelled, which might as well have been a whisper compared to the intense volume of the music.

“TURN THE MUSIC OFF!” Void ordered Nino, who, with trembling hands, complied.

Adrien watched Nino stare at him, before he took off running off the stage and behind the curtains. Adrien sighed in relief, his friend was safe, and he wouldn’t have to know how he would react. Adrien looked to the crowd before him. Several people started screaming, after noticing why the music had gone quiet. Some ran for exit at the back of the stage, but they wouldn’t make it in time.

“BLACK HOLE!” Void called out, a huge purple orb materializing in his right hand. Adrien watched as Void directed it towards the gym floor. The orb phased through the floor, and immediately everyone standing fell down on their knees. Void clenched his fist, and Adrien watched his fellow classmates struggle to get up. The more athletic or fit people fought harder against the artificial gravity. Their legs trembled as they tried to stand, only to fall back on their knees. The more heavier people simply fell on all fours, their arms and legs shaking. Adrien didn’t feel the effects being on the stage, but he could tell it was hurting his classmates.

Adrien scanned the crowd, desperately hoping Marinette hadn’t come. Even though she knew everything, he didn’t want his last moments to be her watching him die. After all the pain he had caused her, he didn’t want her to feel as if it was her fault she couldn’t save him from Void. Because she would, that’s the kind of girl his Ladybug was.

“Attention everyone!” Void’s voice boomed over the grunts and pains of the students. “Before you stands Adrien Agreste. He is found guilty, and I will make him confess to his crimes. And then he will be punished accordingly before you all!”

Adrien continued look for Marinette, relieving once he found no trace of her, even after a double take. But that relief would not last long as Void grabbed his shoulders, turning his head so he looked right at him. Void removed the tape over his mouth, but before Adrien could open his mouth to speak, Void’s goggles became clear, and Adrien found himself staring into those black eyes. Adrien stood calmly in front of Void, unable to move, blink or talk. He was in some kind of paralyzed trance, just like when he had laid his eyes on Jacob the first time. However this time, no illusion came, he was just staring into Void’s black eyes. Adrien waited, unable to do anything else.

Suddenly Void blinked, his eyes going from black, to a dark purple, and immediately Adrien felt unimaginable pain. He shouted out in agony, but unable to hear any of it as memories assaulted his vision. Memories as old as he could remember came to life. He saw himself, stealing cookies from where his mom would hide them when he was just a little child. He saw himself not doing the homework his tutors would leave him with. The hundreds of times he had lied to his parents about small things that seemed so trivial now. That one time he had accidently tripped Chloe on the sidewalk when they were young, making her bleed. When he had snuck out of his house to try to attend school for the first time. Everything Adrien felt even a little guilty about, flooded his mind, as his body calmly stood upright, but his screams continued to echo throughout the gym. Eventually that night came to mind, when he had first created an Akuma, and sent it after Ladybug. Every Akuma he had ever created and every blow they had dealt, came to mind. The pain only ended with his last memory. When he had found out who Ladybug was, and how wrong he was in trying to bring his parents back.

Void’s eyes went back to normal and his goggles black, as Adrien fell onto his knees, panting. There was no more physical pain, there never was. But tears started forming now, with him having to re-live basically his entire life in a span of a minute.

“I knew it!” Void squealed in delight as he turned Adrien around, forcing him to look towards the struggling students. “Tell them what you’ve done. Confess!”

Adrien opened his mouth, but stopped when he heard Void’s bracelet beeping. That’s right, he had used his ability, and now was on limited time.

“Tell them or I will!” Void repeated in desperation.

Adrien gulped, as tears fell down from his face, unable to wipe them due to his bound arms. This was the moment he was dreading, Void knew everything now, and his last moments were upon him. He looked at his classmates before him, they were all staring at him, gaping in shock and horror. Adrien closed his eyes, unable to look at any of them in the eyes. “I...I’m guilty of hurting and betraying the only girl I’ve ever loved in the whole world.”

“No, not that! Tell them who you are!” Void hissed.

Adrien sniffed, clenching his eyes shut, “I’m guilty of being...of being...”

“GET AWAY FROM MY FRIEND!” was all Adrien heard, before he opened his eyes just in time to see Nino run right into Void, making him fall off the stage.

“NINO!?” Adrien gasped, Nino had come back, for _him._ Nino ran behind Adrien with a knife in his hand, Adrien felt the rope binding his hands being cut, and just like that he was free.

“RUN!” Nino demanded Adrien, as he pushed him away. They both heard a beeping sound and briefly looked behind them to see Void jumping back on stage. “RUN! GET OUT OF HERE!”

Adrien stumbled a bit, before turning around and making a beeline for the curtains behind him. He gave one glance over his shoulder, to see his friend being lifted by the neck, and thrown across the room. He caught Void’s eye, it was full of anger, his mouth gritting in fury.

“GET BACK HERE AGRESTE!” Void commanded, as Adrien ran out the door, leading into the hallway.

Adrien ran, not believing what had just occurred. He was so ready, ready to give up and die. But his friend saved his life. He literally owed his friend his life. He didn’t deserve a friend like Nino, someone who willingly put himself in harm’s way for him. Adrien winced at how Void threw Nino, he hoped his friend would be all right. He wanted to fight Void, but Adrien couldn’t do anything. But he won’t just give up this time. He would see Void pay for hurting Nino. Adrien pulled out his phone, dialling Marinette. Ladybug was the only one who could stop Void, and he needed her. Even if he didn’t make it out alive, Void was still running out of time. Hopefully by the time Ladybug gets here, Void would be running around as Jacob, making Ladybug easily capture him. Right now he just needed to buy time. The call went to voicemail, as Adrien heard the echo of a beeping behind him.

“GET BACK HERE!” Void’s voice boomed through the empty hallways.

Adrien ran, swerving around a corner, as he dialled Marinette once more.

“Please, please pick up,” he whispered to himself as he found himself at the end of a hallway. He turned around to see Void standing turn the corner and stop, materializing a dagger. He threw the dagger at Adrien, who through years of experience, managed to instinctually duck, as he ran into the girl’s bathroom on his right. He quickly hid in the last stall, as the phone call again went to voicemail. Void entered the washroom, as his fourth beep went off. Adrien used the time to text Marinette. Hopefully she will see the message, even if she doesn’t want to talk.

“You can’t hide from me, Adrien,” Void remarked, kicking open the first stall. “I saw everything in that little head of yours. I know who you are, _Chat Noir_.”

Adrien flinched, covering his mouth with his hands, not trusting himself to not react in some way. If Void knew he was Chat, then that means...

He heard another stall fly open, as Void moved closer to his end. “I guess it makes sense, Chat disappears right when Hawkmoth Jr appears. Oh and the girl, you can’t make this stuff up,” Void chuckled, “you went after Ladybug’s earrings, while falling in love with her civilian side. No wonder you felt so guilty when you found out.” Another door burst open, and Adrien knew he was close. “You know, Adrien, I can always use your love for her to draw you out, on the off chance my time runs out and you somehow escape.”

He was furious, to say the least. It was one thing to come after him, he at least deserved it. But to go after her, the girl who did her all to protect Paris and its citizens. The most caring, sweet and innocent girl he’d ever known. “DON’T YOU DARE HURT HER!” he found himself shrieking before he could stop. Adrien instantly regretted it, as he heard Void’s footsteps approach his stall. Void stopped moving, and Adrien knew he was right in front of him, but he wouldn’t go down without a fight. He wouldn’t let him hurt Marinette. Adrien slammed into his door, forcefully pushing it open from the inside. The door hit Void’s raised leg, knocking him off balance, and giving Adrien precious time to run out the bathroom.

“Damnit!” Adrien heard as he ran out the bathroom. But Adrien’s victory was short lived, as Void emerged a moment later, right on his tail. Adrien had only started sprinting for a short second before he felt the whip around his belly, dragging him backwards.

“Here, kitty kitty,” Void mocked him, grabbing Adrien and throwing him against the wall. Adrien hit the wall hard, and fell down. He didn’t want to get up, but he did. He _had_ to fight. If not for his own life, then for Marinette’s. He had basically told Void she was Ladybug, and now she and her identity were in danger. He wouldn’t let that happen. He would buy time for Ladybug to arrive, he would stall for as long as he could.

Adrien swung as hard as he could as Void approached him. Void took the punch to the face, not bothering to evade as the suit simply absorbed it. Void pinned Adrien against the wall with his left arm, as the whip in his right arm disappeared, giving way to a small dagger.

“Please don’t hurt her,” Adrien pleaded. Even during his last words, he would always choose to protect her.

“With you gone, I won’t have to. Goodbye, Adrien,” Void smirked, as he raised the dagger.

Adrien clenched his eyes, expecting the sound of his flesh being torn. But all he heard was a final beeping sound, and a punch land on his chest. Adrien immediately opened his eyes, to a shocked Jacob, and a dark purple Kwami darting about.

“Shit,” Jacob grumbled, stumbling backwards. The two teens stared at one another, before Jacob promptly started sprinting towards the end of the hallway.

Adrien gave chase, with renewed strength and energy coursing through his body. He had a fighting chance now. Him and Jacob were on even grounds, and Jacob knew. Jacob knew his bracelet was at risk of being taken, and that’s exactly what Adrien was going for. He had to end it here if he could, he wouldn’t allow Jacob to get away and harm Marinette, or anyone close to her. As they ran, echoes of students screaming and running reminded Adrien that Void’s ability holding the students in place had vanished. That was one less thing to worry about.

“DAMIEN!” Jacob yelled. “Find something to eat! GO!” Adrien saw his Kwami fly through the ceiling above into the second floor of the school.

Adrien chased Jacob, as he opened the door to the staircase, and ran to the top floor of the school, the third floor. Adrien matched Jacob’s speed, not giving him a moment to slow down. Jacob ran through the hallway on the top floor, towards the staircase on the other end. He knew he couldn’t run into one of the many empty classrooms as he would be trapped, thus risking his bracelet to Adrien. Jacob just needed to buy time for his Kwami to recharge, and Adrien knew. How the tables had turned.

Jacob slammed through the doors to the staircase, but instead of fleeing down to the second floor, he simply turned around, with only the staircase railing behind him. Adrien was right on his tail, and he took his chance. Adrien ran forward, preparing a punch with perfect form. A punch that would surely knock Jacob out, and Adrien would be victorious. But Jacob simply smirked, and ducked the blow. He grabbed Adrien’s legs, as Adrien missed his punch. Jacob used Adrien’s momentum, lifting him up and throwing him over the railing, and down to the second floor.

Adrien panicked, as he found himself flung over the railing, and down the steps. He had Jacob right where he wanted him, but it seemed as though it had been the opposite. Adrien had failed due to his foolishness. He should have known better than to not be aware of his surroundings. But he was so overcome with rage; all he had in his mind was taking down Jacob and removing his bracelet. Adrien closed his eyes, as the stair steps came closer. The damage wouldn’t be grave, but it would certainly hurt.

“ADRIEN!” he heard a familiar voice yell out from in front of him. He felt a body wrap around him and roll. He was still now, in her arms.

“L-Ladybug!?” Adrien blinked up at his saviour, who put Adrien upright on his feet.

“I got your message! I got here as fast as I could! Where is he?” Ladybug questioned.

Adrien pointed up to the third floor, as he quietly gaped at her. How many more times was Ladybug going to save him? “He’s...untransformed right now,” Adrien swallowed. This was the first time he was seeing her after that day, and after learning Ladybug was Marinette. Now that he looked at her, he couldn’t believe why he didn’t see it before. The same _everything._

“Then let’s go, we don’t have time to waste,” Ladybug noted, while removing a ring and bringing it to Adrien.

_His ring._

“I...What?” Adrien gasped. She was returning his ring to him? But why? He told her to find a new partner.

“Put it on! We don’t have much time if his Kwami is recharging!” Ladybug demanded.

“But I told you to find a new partner! I don’t deserve the ring! I don’t...” Adrien blurted out.

Adrien watched as Ladybug swiftly grabbed his right hand, the ring hovering over his ring finger. “Maybe you’re right...maybe you don’t deserve this power...”

Adrien flinched from her words. He knew how he himself felt, but hearing those words from her...

“But...I need my partner. I need _you_ , Chat Noir. Are you going to help me face Void, or leave me alone again?” Ladybug  said coldly.

Adrien looked at her fierce determination. She was right, at this moment she needed him. It didn’t matter if he deserved it or not. After everything he did, he owed it to her to capture Void. He won’t ever let her do this alone.

“I...I understand,” Adrien watched her expression soften. “I understand why you did what you did. I don’t think I’m ready to forgive you...or if I ever will. But...” she sighed, “you did return my earrings to me, like you said you would. So I know you’re not the villain Void thinks you are. You’re Chat Noir, and I know that will always be a part of you. The fact that you texted me, telling me you were buying time for me to get here proves that there’s still some hero left in you. Now are you going to help me or not?”

Adrien gulped, “Yes. I will.”

“Good,” Ladybug replied, while pushing the ring down his finger. Plagg immediately materialized in front of Arien, looking furious.

“You. Stupid. Kid!” Plagg spat at him. “You think you don’t deserve the ring because of one idiotic mistake!”

“I-I’m sorry, Plagg,” Adrien looked away guiltily. Plagg sighed, his anger guickly fading into a frown. Plagg flew over to Adrien’s cheek, nuzzling it in comfort.

“You’re my chosen, all right? You’re my Chat Noir, don’t you think so otherwise. Just because you made some bad choices, doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it. You are and always will be a hero,” Plagg assured him.

“Thanks, Plagg,” Adrien sobbed, as his eyes started to well up. He had his ring and Plagg back. Ladybug, _Marinette,_ at least trusted him enough to let him be her partner once again. He would earn that trust, he would show her she didn’t make a mistake giving him the ring. He would prove to her he was a hero once again, no longer blinded by false promises. He knew where things stood, where his place was. That his parents were dead, and he accepted it. He was no longer astray, he was again on the right path. The correct path. He would show her. “I promise I’ll never do something as stupid as not listening to you again, Plagg.”

“We don’t have time for this, transform!” Ladybug ordered, as she began to run up the stairs to the third floor.

“We’ll talk later,” Plagg smiled at him, wiping away a tear.

“Yea,” Adrien smiled back. “Plagg! Claws out!”

Chat ran after Ladybug, opening classroom doors, as she imitated on the other side of the hallway.

“He has to be here somewhere, probably hiding, waiting for his Kwami to recharge,” Chat thought out loud, while they continued to open doors.

“Jacob!” Ladybug snarled. Chat turned to her, she was outside an open classroom, Jacob must be inside. Suddenly a bright purple flash illuminated the doorway, making him and Ladybug cover their eyes. Jacob must have transformed into Void. Chat started to panic, but then he remembered he wasn’t alone anymore. Not only was he Chat Noir, but he had Ladybug with him. He ran towards Ladybug as she threw her yo-yo inside. He just made it beside her, as he watched Void dodge her yo-yo and crash through the window.

“Black Hole!” Void’s voice was heard from outside, as a purple orb appeared outside the windows. Chat and Ladybug tried to run to the window, but were stopped as all the chairs and desks inside the classroom flew across the room, causing them to duck. The desks clung to the wall, drawn by the gravity of the orb, but stopped by the wall, thus effectively sealing the windows from the heroes.

“The next room!” Chat gestured. They ran to the adjacent classroom, frantic when they discovered the same scenario. Chat tried to move a desk, but his strength was apparently nothing compared to the immense pull of the orb. Chat couldn’t use his Cataclysm either, as there were layers of desks piled up, and destroying once would change nothing.

“We have to leave the school from doors! There’s no other choice!” Ladybug and Chat ran down the stairs, bolting out the exit doors. They made their way around the side of the school where the orb was suspended, just in time to see it vanish, and hear the resulting thud from the chairs and desks falling down. They both made their way onto the school’s rooftop, scanning the surroundings for either Jacob or Void. Instead they just saw their fellow students, some reporters and police cars.

“He’s gone, we’ll never catch him now,” Adrien sighed.

“I know where he lives, he’s probably headed home,” Ladybug added.

“You...you know where he lives?” Adrien asked in disbelief.

“Yeah,” Ladybug sighed. “I snuck into school a couple days ago at night, and checked the school registry for an address on Jacob. I thought it was a long shot, since he could’ve used a fake address, but no it was the real one. He lives in a mansion similar to yours, with a similar security system. I tried to break in, but it’s impossible...unless we use Cataclysm to break the metal walls.”

“Oh...,” Adrien responded, before realizing something. “Wait...If you knew where he lives, why didn’t you just wait for him to leave his house as Jacob and then jump in and take his miraculous?”

Ladybug simply turned to gaze at him, frowning. “I _did_ do that. Except no one left or entered the house at all.”

“Then how do you know it’s the correct house?” Adrien asked.

“I just do okay?” Ladybug growing frustrated. “Now are you going to follow me there, or not?”

“I am,” Adrien answered, careful to not say anything to anger her farther. 

“Good, then let’s go,” Ladybug ordered, as she took off swinging.

They moved throughout the city as they usually would on their patrol. But this time, Chat kept his distance from Ladybug, as the usual banter between them was replaced with silence, save for the sound of the streets below them. He knew he shouldn’t complain. He never expected to see his ring again and re-unite with Plagg. He never thought he would be swinging by Ladybug’s side again; it had been weeks since the last time he’d done so. But still, he couldn’t help but feel the sadness of his partner, former best friend, girlfriend, no, _ex-girlfriend,_ being so cold and distant to him. But then he thought back to the past week. When he’d do nothing all day, feeling nothing but misery and wallowing in self pity. Whatever this was between them now, he would gladly take it. He would gladly be just her partner, if it meant he wouldn’t have to be alone anymore.

“There!” Ladybug pointed, as they came to a stop on the rooftop across the street from the huge mansion. They both landed on the front doors, which were barred with metal.

“Do you have something to recharge your Kwami with?” Ladybug asked.

“No,” Adrien tensed. If they were really about to find Void inside, then Adrien would already be at a disadvantage having used his Cataclysm and having limited time.

“There must be some food inside; you can tell your Kwami to recharge at the kitchen or something,” Ladybug reasoned.

“Yeah maybe...Cataclsym!” Adrien yelled, as the thick, metal door gave way to the mansion inside. They walked inside, prepared to defend themselves. But the lobby was empty, absolutely empty.

They opened door after, door, finding each room eerily empty.

“Looks like you were wrong, Ladybug,” Chat refrained from calling her My Lady, he lost the right some time ago. “Besides, how is a guy our age able to even afford this?” Chat called of his transformation, telling Plagg to go find some food.

“What are you doing?” Ladybug inquired.

“Well Void isn’t here. So the faster Plagg recharges, the faster I can transform back,” Adrien shrugged.

“Fine,” Ladybug retorted. She opened another door, expecting it to be empty again, but she froze instead.

“Ladybug?” Adrien paced over to her side, after seeing her tense up. “Woah,” Adrien gasped, as they both slowly walked through the door. The room was huge, the biggest room in the mansion. Inside were tons of boards with pictures clipped onto them with various names underneath. The pictures seemed to be linked to other pictures and newspapers with red string. There were also several tables, full of newspaper clippings.

“Adrien!” Ladybug gasped, covering her mouth as she pointed to a huge board hung on a wall. On it were several names next to portraits of men and women. Underneath, was a short description of the crime they were apparently responsible for. Some had a red X cross next to them, while others didn’t.

“The ones with the cross, I’m guessing Void killed those?” Adrien asked Ladybug.

“Yeah he did,” Ladybug gulped, “I remember some of these faces showing up dead this week.”

“Ladybug, look at this!” Adrien pointed to another board where the name ‘DragonFire’ was written in huge letters across the midde, with several strands connecting to it. “I heard Void mention that name to someone.”

Ladybug gazed at the board, examining it. “It’s the same name on that message he left hanging off the rooftop.”

“Yeah you’re right. ‘ _Dragonfire, you took the Light of my life’_ ” Adrien recalled.

“Adrien look,” Ladybug pointed along a string that connected DragonFire to a newspaper article.

“It just mentions a girl who died to a house fire,” Ladybug summarized, while reading the article. “Wait...it says here the fire is suspected to be the work of an arsonist called DragonFire,” Ladybug gasped, as she put two and two together. “This guy must’ve killed Void’s girlfriend, or sister? Maybe that’s why he’s after him?”

“Whoever she was, she was another miraculous user,” Adrien added.

“What?” Ladybug turned to look at him with a raised brow.

“Nooroo, the butterfly Kwami, showed me a book from my dad’s safe. In it, it said that Light and Darkness were two pairs of miraculous, just like me and you. So since Void said DragonFire took the light of his life...” Adrien explained

“...He must mean her,” Ladybug interrupted. “She was the Light miraculous to his Darkness.” Adrien simply nodded. She looked up to him, before turning her attention to something behind him.

“Oh my god,” she gasped as she went around him, moving around some board. Adrien suddenly realized what she was talking about when she brought the board closer to him.

“It’s me,” Adrien noted. The board had Hawkmoth Jr. written in the middle, with a string attaching Adrien’s picture to it. There was a question mark next to his picture, possibly indicating Void was yet uncertain. “Guess he forgot to update it, meaning he hasn’t come back here.”

“What do you mean update it?” Ladybug shot him a curious look.

Adrien tensed up, he forgot Ladybug didn’t know about what fully went down at the dance. “He...um...he knows...who I was.”

“Oh...”

“He also knows I’m Chat Noir,” Adrien rubbed his neck, scared of how she might react to the incoming news, “and that you’re Marinette.”

“WHAT!” Ladybug hissed at him. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner!”

“I was going to! I just forgot!” Adrien tried to defend himself.

Ladybug just turned around, pulling on her hair. “What if he went to my parent’s bakery, instead of coming here? Do you realize what this means! Everyone we’ve ever cared about are in danger!”

“Um, Ladybug? He’s not at your bakery,” Adrien pointed to the door with trembling arms, as Ladybug followed his aim, before immediately going for her yo-yo. Void was by the door. He briefly came inside the room, tapping something on the wall, before darting out the door, the yo-yo just missing him. Ladybug growled as she and Adrien ran to the door. But they both froze in their tracks once they heard a beeping sound coming from the wall that Jacob had interacted with. The wall was displaying an LCD timer, counting down from 2 minutes.

“It’s a bomb,” Ladybug gasped, as fear spread across her body. “The entire room is a bomb.”

“WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE, NOW!” Adrien yelled. But before both of them could do anything, a purple orb phased through the wall next to the door, coming to a suspended stop in the middle of the room. And immediately, Adrien, along with all the boards and tables, were hurled backwards, towards the orb.

“ADRIEN!” Ladybug screamed out, using her yo-yo to pull Adrien away, but the force of the orb was too great. She found herself being dragged, as Adrien finally clung to the orb. His arms and legs glued to orb, he was stuck.

“Get out of here! The suit might not be enough to save you this time!”Adrien demanded.

“I’m not leaving you!” she hissed, as she wrapped her arms around Adrien, pulling as hard as she could. The beeping of the timer counting down only added to their anxiety.

“You need to leave me here! Save yourself! Paris needs you, Ladybug!” Adrien tried to reason with her, as she continued to try to pry him free from the orb’s immense pull.

“Paris needs you too!” Ladybug snapped back, “I need you.”

Adrien gulped at that, he wanted to kiss her right there and then. Assure her everything was going to be fine. But the continuous beeping sound told him otherwise. But then he saw Plagg, his hope returning to him.

“Plagg! Transform me! Quick!” Adrien ordered.

“I can’t! The whole mansion was empty, I’m too weak!” Plagg complained

 “The ring,” Adrien gasped, as he remembered. “Ladybug! Take my ring and put it on.”

“What? Why?” Ladybug curiously asked.

“It’ll make you strong enough to free me! Trust me, just put it on,” Adrien assured her. She gave him a look, before sternly nodding and yanking his ring free, as his fingers remained glued to the orb. Adrien watched her put on the ring, and immediately a second transformation washed over her. He gloves and boots were pitch black, while wings sprouted on her back. Ladybug gave just one glance over her new suit, before she pulled Adrien again. This time to both their surprise, Adrien gave way. Ladybug slowly pried Adrien from the orb, until his whole body was off it.

“Ladybug! Use your wings!” Adrien told her.

“I have wings!?” she asked, before she tensed her shoulders. “Oh my god! I have wings!” But her happiness was short lived, as the timer now showed just 30 seconds.

“Let’s go,” Ladybug was determined. She used all her power, and her wings to slowly make it out the door. The pull on Adrien was greatly slowing her down, but she found the farther she went from the orb, the lower the effects. Adrien meanwhile tried his hardest not the blackout from the pressure of the orb pulling him back, with Ladybug moving him forward.

Ladybug grunted, as she continued to move down the stairs leading to the main lobby, where the doors where. The power of her wings increasing now that they were farther away from the orb. They picked up speed, as they made their way past the one door that Chat had destroyed, only for the bomb to go off. The explosion was massive, the fire and blast knocking Ladybug outwards into the huge grassy lawn outside as well as completely obliterating the mansion behind them.

“Ugghh,” Ladybug grunted in pain, as she landed on the grass. Her suit protected her from the shock of the blast, but her neck was still singed from the fire. “Adrien!” She quickly ran over to where Adrien had landed just a few feet in front of her. Adrien was in much worse shape, his arms and neck were singed too, and he had a huge cut on his forehead.

“I can’t believe we made it out alive,” Adrien gulped, as Ladybug approached.

“Miraculous Ladybug!” she quickly yelled out, ladybugs healing Adrien and rebuilding the mansion, including the door Chat had previously destroyed.

“Are you okay?” Ladybug asked Adrien, who swiftly stood up, now that his pain was gone.

“Yeah,” Adrien answered, rubbing his neck, looking towards the mansion. “I think Void fled, so he wouldn’t be hit by the blast.” Ladybug simply nodded, before she examined her suit more closely this time.

“I can fly?” Ladybug inquired, as she hovered into the air, trying her best to keep balanced.

“Yeah, you also have a baton and yo-yo as well,” Adrien pointed out. “Oh, and you can use Cataclysm as many times as you want! I think Lucky Charm too, but I didn’t test that out.”

“Is this the power you wanted my earrings for?” Ladybug questioned, as she landed back down.

“No!” Adrien exclaimed. “I never wanted this power! I just wanted to use it to bring my parents back!”

“But it didn’t work, right?” Ladybug asked as she moved towards the door, Adrien following.

“No,” Adrien shook his head. “Combining the earrings only gives you more power; I was stupid enough to think it could bring my parents back. You have to believe me Ladybug, I didn’t want more power than I already had. I just...I just wanted my parents back. But they’re dead now, I know that.”

“I believe you...I believe you because you returned my earrings,” Ladybug gave him a smile, before shouting Cataclysm, and breaking the door down again. She then removed the ring, holding it out for Adrien. “You go recharge somewhere, and go to my parents. Watch over them and wait for me.”

“What are you going to do?” Adrien asked as he reluctantly grabbed his ring, wearing it again. Plagg appeared beside him, but he simply sat on Adrien’s shoulder.

“I’m going to quickly grab as much information as I can before Void comes back,” Ladybug answered.

“Ok, be safe,” Adrien told her, “And thank you. You saved my life...again.”

“We need to talk, soon,” Ladybug simply gave him a small smile, before she ran back inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, pls leave a kudos if you liked ^_^


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat and Ladybug find DragonFire, and make up.

 “Are you sure it’s safe in here?” Adrien asked Marinette as she eyed all the pictures and newspaper clippings she could bring with her on her floor.

“Yeah, if Void decides to attack my family or me to get to you, we’ll be ready,” Marinette pulled out her phone. “I took pictures of the boards before I took everything off. I’m sending them to you, organize everything according to the photos, and then we take notes.”

Adrien nodded, and began to work. It was late night now, the dance having ended some hours ago. Ladybug took two trips, the second time bringing a backpack with her to gather more information from Jacob’s mansion. She had let Adrien in from the balcony and she herself came from the front door. Adrien could immediately hear how worried her parents were, having heard of what Void did at the school. Adrien was envious of her parents. How different would his life had been, if he had Tom as a dad?  Tom would have gotten over the loss of their mother, and given Adrien twice the love he would’ve needed. He frowned, memories he tried so hard to forget pushing themselves in front of Adrien’s mind, as he sat alone, listening to Marinette receive love and comfort. The air of sadness around him only lifted when Marinette finally came up, bringing too much food for once person to eat with her.

Needless to say, the atmosphere around them was tense and awkward. They behaved more like business partners with no common interests, than friends who had known each other for years, and even fallen in love. Adrien should be lucky however, even being allowed near her again after what he did. But then he thought back to earlier, when Ladybug said she needed him. What did she mean? Did Ladybug need Chat Noir to take down Void? Or did Marinette need Adrien? Could Adrien hope, after everything that occurred, that maybe he would be allowed to be her friend again? Maybe something more? Or more importantly, _should_ he be allowed to hope for that, after everything he did?

Adrien was just about to tell Marinette he was done his pile, when he saw her dozing off, her back leaning against her chaise. Adrien smiled at her gentle form. He picked her up, and put her on her bed. He watched her for a second, smiling to himself. She was so _vulnerable_. He already devoted himself to protecting Ladybug no matter what, taking hits for her, even if her suit could handle it. But seeing Marinettte like this, his devotion increased tenfold. He would find and defeat Void. And once Marinette and her family were safe, only then would he worry about their relationship.

He made his way over to Marinette’s unfinished pile, pausing only to watch both of their Kwami’s cuddling together, fast sleep. He was tired, very tired after everything today. He wanted to sleep as well, but his dedication kept him up. He organized everything according to the boards in the pictures. He even finished taking notes, summarizing everything Void had to offer. Adrien didn’t even know what he was writing down, as his last sentence came to an end, and he allowed himself to finally drift off to sleep.

He awoke to the sound of the door being banged upon.

“Marinette!” her mother called out. “Lunch is ready! Wake up sleepyhead!”

“Coming mom,” Marinete replied drowsily, wiping her eyes with her hands, as she got off her bed. She only fully awoke, with her eyes wide in surprise, when she saw the sight below her. “You...you finished everything?”

“Yeah,” Adrien said, as he reached for the notebook. “I took notes of everything too.”

Marinette took the book, reading over it. “You...wow. How long were you up until?”

“Just a few hours after you slept,” Adrien replied sheepishly.

Marinette smiled at him, before going towards her door. “Wait here, I’ll get you some food.”

Adrien and Marinette ate their lunch, ignoring calls from Nino and Alya, probably about hanging out on a Saturday.

“They know, don’t they?” Adrien sighed.

“Well, you didn’t say anything about it, and neither did Void,” Marinette noted. “The only thing they should know is that you betrayed your girlfriend...me. Which would explain why I didn’t come to school for over a week.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Adrien was thankful Alya or anyone else wasn’t recording anything. So far only the students and teachers attending the dance knew about his confession.

Adrien dismissed his thoughts, as he finished his lunch. They had more important work to do, as they went over the events of the past couple of weeks.

“Ok so starting from when Void hung that man in the tuxedo off the roof, who is he?” Adrien thought aloud. “Is he related to the men you found dead in that warehouse attack?”

“I think so, they were wearing the same suit from the same brand. Everyone around here wears Paris brands such as Agreste. But these suits were American made,” Marinette noted. “And according to Void’s board, DragonFire is the leader of these men. Void doesn’t know what their group is called, but the police think they are a criminal organization.”

“What about these other criminals,” Adrien pointed to a pile of information. “Half of what Void collected has been about identifying criminals and taking them out.”

“We can’t worry about that. Those are just random criminals. If we want Void, we need to find this DragonFire guy,” Marinette remarked.

“We find DragonFire, and use him to lure out Void,” Adrien added. “Hand them both over to the police. Kill two birds with one stone.”

“Exactly,” Marinette nodded.

“Ok, but where do we begin to find DragonFire? All Void has on him is that he’s the leader of these guys. Void doesn’t even have a picture of him. Just that he was a serial arsonist. He killed someone close to Void, along with several others, and now Void wants revenge,” Adrien explained.

Marinette stuck her tongue out for a moment, lost in thought. Adrien watched her, remembering when she did the same when Adrien was helping her with physics.

She instantly stood up, looking at Adrien. “Remember that day when I told you Void left an undercover cop alive at the warehouse incident?”

Adrien slightly cringed, recalling the painful memory of that day, when he had found out Ladybug’s identity.

“Y-yeah,” Adrien stuttered.

“Well...” Marinette started pacing around the room. “He’s the one who told me the police were investigating this organization. Maybe the police know something Void doesn’t? We have to check it out.”

“So...what do you suggest? We just walk in and demand the police to tell us everything?” Adrien scoffed.

“No, of course not,” Marinette crossed her arms. “But I know that cop’s name, Detective Enzo Bernard. When I arrived on scene, he was scared and in shock. I comforted him enough so that he would start talking about what happened. I think he might talk to me again, if I gave him a visit.”

“Do you know where he lives?” Adrien asked.

“No,” Marinette frowned. “But...I say we go to the police station and ask for him.”

“Hmm...It’s the only lead we have. So...let’s go,” Adrien shrugged.

Adrien left as Chat from the balcony, whereas as Marinette transformed in an alley, after saying goodbye to her parents. They made their way over to the police station, still quiet as ever as they ran side by side. They strolled right in through the front doors. People stopped what they were doing and gaped at the two heroes, sauntering towards the front desk. Ladybug took the lead, acting all confident, as Chat Noir shyly followed behind.

“C-Can I help you?” am officer behind the front desk asked, clearly baffled at the superhero duo.

“We are here to meet with Detective Enzo Bernard,” Ladybug crossed her arms.

“Umm...who is...”

“He’s doesn’t work here,” Ladybug and Chat Noir turned to the man on their right. He was wearing a suit and a trench coat, clearly another detective. “You’ve got the wrong precinct.”

“Well, where does he work then?” Ladybug asked.

“Doesn’t matter, you won’t find him there either. He’s taken a vacation for now. Considering what happened, I don’t blame the fella,” the detective explained.

“It’s important we talk to him. It’s superhero business,” Ladybug placed her hands on her hips.

“Right,” the man smirked, giving Ladybug and Chat Noir a look over. “Look, the best I can do, is give you his address. But I can’t guarantee he’ll talk to you. He hasn’t been talking to anyone recently.”

“That’ll be fine. Thanks,” Ladybug smiled at him, as he wrote something down on a piece of paper.

“Tell him Theo says hi,” the man handed over the paper to Ladybug. She took it and nodded, promptly leaving the building and towards his house. They knocked on his door, and he let them in, on the sight of Ladybug.

“Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee?...Wine?” he asked, as all three of them sat down in his living room. Chat and Ladybug on a couch, with him across them on another couch.

“No thanks,” Ladybug replied, while Chat shook his head.

“I’m guessing you’re here about what happened in that warehouse?” Enzo looked over to Ladybug, who nodded back at him. He sighed, “What do you want to know?”

“Everything that happened that day. Anything that could help us capture DragonFire and put an end to his criminal organization,” Ladybug urged.

Enzo poured himself a drink from a bottle of wine that was already half empty. “Well...I guess it all started out when our police found evidence of a new type of drug hitting the streets of Paris a few months back,” Enzo paused to take a sip. “The locals, they called it “The Fire”. The best high you would ever get, leaving you with burning sensation as an aftertaste. Well one thing led to another, and I found myself working for them undercover...reporting back to my boss whenever I would discover something big.”

“What did you find? Anything to do with Void?” Chat asked.

“No, Void wasn’t in the picture at the time,” Enzo shook his head, taking another sip. “Until the whole Void situation, it was just the usual gig. Rise up through the ranks, report back to the police and help them make arrests...etc. I eventually got into their inner most trusted circle, became responsible for organizing the drugs. I helped the police take down many houses where they cooked the drugs. I even learned about the name of the man running this whole thing, DragonFire. Never saw him in person though, but the way everyone talked about him. It’s like he was a god to everyone, like he was invincible. Like he had powers or...”

“Ok, but what happened with Void and that warehouse? And where can we find DragonFire?” Chat interrupted, earning a nudge and warning glare from Ladybug.

Enzo shot him an annoyed look before continuing. “Everything was going well until Void came. Suddenly everyone was freaking out. I didn’t blame them, with Void dropping bodies left and right, a lot of them our men. Hell, I was scared I was going to be next. Just plucked from the street and killed, for simply doing my job,” Enzo finished his drink, frowning at it until he poured another glass. There was a long pause as Enzo collected his thoughts. “One day, I get a message. Me and a bunch of other thugs DragonFire trusted were to meet at a discrete location, that warehouse. Once I got there, I phoned my boss, telling him my location and that DragonFire was on the way. I told him I was going to text him once DragonFire showed up, so that he could bring the entire Paris police force if need be, and capture the guy.” Chat and Ladybug sat still, listening curiously. “While we were waiting, I found out this wasn’t the first time this had happened. Apparently, DragonFire killed someone close to Void. And since that day, he had been running from Void, for years. We were meeting up to discuss what country to move our operation to next. But before DragonFire showed up, Void did. He made this huge, purple sphere with his hands. And the next thing I know, people are dying left and right. I tried shooting at him, but my bullets just floated towards the orb.” Enzo put his glass down, covering his face with his hands. “I panicked. I hid under one of the bodies, pretending to be dead...I was a coward.”

Chat watched Ladybug get off her seat and sit next to Enzo, patting his back. He was again reminded of how caring and comforting his lady could be.

“There was blood and shrieks everywhere. I thought it ended when things went silent, but I was so very wrong. He saved one of the guys for information. Void cut into him, and tortured him, demanding him to tell Void where the base of operations was. Even I didn’t know, so I made sure to listen closely. Which meant I heard every cry of pain, and every plea of mercy. The horror only ended when he finally gave the location up, which was followed by Void ending his misery.”

“What is the location? Where’s DragonFire hiding?” Ladybug gently asked. Enzo looked up from his hands, staring at Ladybug.

“The catacombs beneath Paris,” Enzo revealed. “But he must’ve been lying, because the police searched every inch of the place after I told them. They didn’t find anything,” Enzo blurted out.

“Hmm...we should still check it out,” Chat noted.

Ladybug nodded at him, before turning back to Enzo. “Anything else we should know?”

“Yeah,” Enzo’s expression turning serious as he stared at her, “Don’t trust the cops.” Ladybug flinched, giving him a surprised look. “After Void kill the last guy. I felt myself float. Before long, I was stuck to the orb, and there was a car flying right at me. But Void tugged me away, making me land on my feet, and he just stared at me. I couldn’t fight back or even move. I knew then that was it, I was going to die. But Void just laughed at me, and slapped my shoulder. He said ‘Tell your cop buddy I said thanks’. And that’s when I realized. Void should not have known about the meeting that day. Even _I_ didn’t know, until a few hours earlier. The only other person who knew was my boss. I’m sure my boss chose to tell Void, knowing he was going to kill everyone, instead of coming down and arresting them instead. Void’s an animal, and so is he.” Ladybug and Chat looked at each other and gulped. “That’s why I left. I told them about the catacombs and nothing more. I don’t trust anyone there. And neither should you.”

“Right, thank you,” Ladybug smiled at the man, shaking his hand as they all got up.

“I hope you get them. All of them,” Enzo urged them as he escorted them out his house. “Void, DragonFire. The corrupt son of a bitch that used to be my boss.”

“We’ll try our best, sir,” Chat waved at him.

“Thank you, for everything,” Ladybug added. Enzo nodded at them both, before closing the door.

“Well that was...enlightening,” Chat spoke, as they both landed on a nearby rooftop. “There was nothing about the catacombs on Void’s boards.”

“Maybe because the cops didn’t find anything?” Ladybug thought, “so Void didn’t think to include it.”

“Well, I think we should still check it out.”

Ladybug folded her arms, “Seriously? What are we going to find that the cops didn’t?”

“They don’t have my night vision, now do they?” Chat grinned at her. “Besides, it’s the only lead we have.”

“Fine,” Ladybug sighed, “Let’s go.”

They quietly made their way over to the public entrance of the catacombs, unbeknownst of the shadowy figure following behind them.

The catacombs were sealed off for now by police tape, which made it easier for the duo to sneak inside, and into the section closed off to the public. Ladybug picked up a flashlight, while Chat walked around seeing as clear as day.

They wandered silently for several minutes, pausing to occasionally stare at the skulls on the walls. Chat was getting angry, part because they weren’t finding anything, any clues that DragonFire might be here. And part because he was getting tired of these quiet moments with him and Ladybug. The silence between them as they moved through the city, and the silence now. The silence that filled when they had no business to discuss. Adrien knew he should be glad, she trusts him enough to let him be her partner again. He shouldn’t want anything more. But he still couldn’t help himself, as he found himself muttering, “you’re still mad.”

Ladybug stopped in her tracks. Chat looked at her; she scoffed at him, before resuming their search. “You think I’m _mad_ at you.”

“Well...” Chat hesitated, looking anywhere but at her. “Yeah. I mean, you have every right to be.”

“Chat...Adrien...I’m not mad.”

Chat met her gaze this time, looking surprised, “You’re not?”

“No,” she shook her head. “Atleast...not anymore.” Ladybug took the lead, while Chat slowly followed behind her. “I was though, for a very long time, until yesterday.”

“Oh,” Chat responded.

“How would you feel Chat? If you were in my shoes?” Ladybug asked, as she turned around, having walked down a dead end. “I mean, I was ready to forgive Chat, because he was my partner, and he was my best friend. But then finding out that that person was also my boyfriend, whom I’ve been in love with for years. My love for you only grew stronger than I ever thought possible, because the two people I loved were one and the same. Finding out something like that should’ve been the best day of your life.” She slowed down, her eyes on the floor. Her and Chat weren’t looking for clues anymore, but they didn’t care. “But it wasn’t...I was so mad, so heartbroken, so...betrayed.”

“I’m sorry,” Chat frowned, as he followed behind Ladybug. He couldn’t bear to see her face right now.   
“I’m so sorry.”

“I was mad at you...” Ladybug continued. “But also a bit at myself.”

Chat grabbed her shoulder with his hand, forcing them both to come to stop. “What?...” Chat whispered. Why was she mad at herself?

“When you took my earrings, it was easy to be mad at you. You were the bad guy. But when you returned them, I kept thinking back to when you first asked me for my earrings, on the Eiffel tower,” Ladybug sighed. “If only I had trusted you, none of this would have ever happened.”

Chat turned Ladybug around and put both his hands on her shoulders. He looked right into her eyes.   
“Ladybug, stop. None of this is your fault, it’s mine.”

“Maybe...” Ladybug started to sob as tears formed in her eyes. “But what kind of friend was I, that I couldn’t trust my best friend and partner.”

“Ladybug, stop,” Chat ordered her, as his own tears started forming up because of the amazing girl before him. The girl he had hurt so much, yet she still carried the weight of what he’d done over her shoulders. That it was somehow her fault, for what Chat did.

“I knew you were hurting, Chat. I should’ve stayed, should’ve helped you. We could’ve talked it out, as partners. But I was a coward, and I ran away,” Ladybug sniffed. “And then when you came to me, and cried about your parents being gone, I shouldn’t have let you go. I knew that you must have reformed. That you knew what you did was wrong. That you repented everything, and you still deserved your ring. But I was too scared to stop you, I was a coward, again. I was afraid you were going to hurt me again.”

Chat moved his hand to wipe away her tears. “This is my fault, ok? Everything I did is on me. I chose to put on the butterfly brooch. I chose to make Akumas. I chose to hurt you, in trying to get your earrings. You need to stop blaming yourself all the time.”

“You’re right, all that, it’s your fault...” Ladybug smiled at him, as she placed a hand on his now moist cheeks. “But you can’t tell me it isn’t my fault that I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.”

“But you were there for me...as Marinette,” Chat reminded her.

Ladybug smiled, “And you helped me as Adrien.”

Chat grinned, before pulling Ladybug in for a tight hug. “I’m so sorry,” he cried. “And I know you’re tired of hearing that, so I’ll prove it. I’ll never leave your side again. I’ll never break your trust again. I promise. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”

Ladybug wrapped her arms around Chat, crying into his chest as she returned the hug. “And I promise, I will always trust you. I won’t leave your side either, kitty.”

“I don’t deserve you,” Chat sniffed into her shoulder.

“Well, too bad, you’re stuck with me,” Ladybug replied.

They both cried into each other’s embrace. The past week of tension and stress rolling off them in waves. Their cries echoed off the dark walls. Adrien had never felt so happy in a long time. His heart felt like it had been cleansed. He had his best friend back. And that’s all he would ever need, for the rest of his life.

“What the fuck? Ladybug! Chat Noir!?” a voice startled them out of their moment. They both frantically wiped their tears away, as they examined the man before him. He was wearing a suit, and was clearly surprised at them. “Oh shit, the boss will have my head for this,” he said, before taking off down the pathway.

“We should probably go after him,” Chat grinned at Ladybug.

Ladybug smiled back at him, before giving chase. The man had gotten an extra start, but he was no match for them.

“Where is your hideout?!” Ladybug demanded from the man who was cowering in fear on the ground before her.

“I-I don’t know,” the man replied.

Chat squatted in front of the man, flexing his hands at his face. “Try...again.”

The man gulped as he stared at the sharp claws, “Ok, ok. I’ll lead you there...Just don’t hurt me. Please.”

Ladybug picked the man up by his jacket, and shoved him. “Get leading.” They followed the man in the suit, as he manoeuvred his way around the catacombs.

“You can never beat him, you know,” the man told them.

“Who? DragonFire?” Chat asked.

“First he’ll kill me, for bringing you two to him. And then he’ll kill the both of you,” the man gulped.

“We have superpowers,” Ladybug grinned at him in confidence. “I’d like to see him try.”

The man sighed, “Very well, don’t tell me I didn’t warn ya.” They turned a corner, to come across a dead end. “Here.”

“Here?” Ladybug looked puzzled.

“This is a dead end!” Chat yelled.

“That’s what the cops thought as well,” the man smirked.

“OH! Of course!” Chat smacked his head, before turning back to a confused Ladybug. “It must be a hidden passageway or something. That’s why the cops couldn’t find anything. It’s hidden.”

Ladybug walked up to the man as he stared at the wall of skulls. “Open it,” she gestured to the wall.

“I’m so dead,” the man sighed as he walked up to the wall. He grabbed a skull, pulling it back. A click was heard, and the entire wall slid to the side, giving way to another dark tunnel a few meters long. At the end of the tunnel was a single hanging lamp that illuminated a wooden door. The man turned around to run away. Ladybug and Chat Noir reacted a moment too late, as the man slipped through their grasp, and ran right into Void.

“Void!” Ladybug exclaimed, as she and Chat took out their weapons, entering defensive positions.

Void grabbed the man as he yelped, and held him in front of him. Ladybug snarled, there was no way to swing her yo-yo without also hitting the man.

“Ha, I knew letting you guys take all my stuff was a good idea. All I had to do was follow you, and voila, you brought me right to DragonFire. Thank you,” Void took a bow, before grinning. He immediately made a canister from his right hand, which he threw on the ground, covering the entire tunnel in smoke.

“Chat!” Ladybug coughed, “go after Void.”

“I can’t see in the smoke,” Chat complained. They heard a cry and a sharp crack coming from in front of them. Ladybug and Chat turned towards the source of the sound, right as they felt someone run past them. They both pounced blindly, grabbing each other.

“I caught him!” Chat yelled.

“That’s me, you dumb cat,” Ladybug whined.

“Oh, sorry,” Chat let go of Ladybug, as he laughed nervously.

“Stay in one place until the smoke clears up,” Ladybug ordered, “Or else we might get lost in the tunnels again.”

“Right,” Chat nodded. They stood there for several moments, until the smoke was thin enough to see through. Chat saw Ladybug move past him with a flashlight, as she knelt beside the man.

“His neck is broken,” Ladybug grit her teeth.

“Void,” Chat growled.

“Let’s get him, before he gets anyone else. Let’s go” Ladybug commanded Chat, as they both made their way through the tunnel and through the door. They gasped in unison, as they stared at the sight in front of them. They were on a ledge, with stairs besides them, leading them down to the ground. They were in a huge cavern, that was at least 3 stories tall, and several hundred meters long. Chat and Ladybug quickly ducked underneath a rock, before one of the hundred men sprawled across the cavern floor could see them.  

“Over there, look!” Ladybug pointed off to the distance. They both saw Void grapple his way across by hooking onto the ceiling, completely oblivious to the thugs on the ground. He landed onto the roof of a huge wooden building that was situated at the far end of the cavern.

“How do we get to that building with all these guys in our way? Going through them will just slow us down,” Chat asked Ladybug. Before they could form a plan, faint gunshots and screams were heard coming from inside the building. The men on the ground stopped what they were doing, and grabbed their weapons; running towards Void.

“We don’t have a choice,” Ladybug stood up, drawing her yo-yo. “You take the right side, I’ll take the left. Meet at the entrance to the building, we’ll go in together.” Chat nodded at her, and started to take off to his side, but was stopped as Ladybug grabbed his wrist. “They have guns, so be careful okay?”

Chat smiled at her, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to leave you anytime soon.” Ladybug smiled back, before they both jumped down the ledge, onto the ground. They swept across the cavern, knocking the thugs unconscious easily with a flick of the yo-yo or a swing of the baton. There were plenty of stacked boxes filled with drugs, which provided cover from any gunfire if they caught the attention of any thugs that weren’t focused on running towards the sounds of screams coming from the building.

The duo eventually made it across, leaving behind bodies of knocked out men in suits. They walked through the open door, only to be welcome to a mess. The first floor was just a giant room, with chemicals and equipment cleanly spread across tables, along with bloodied bodies. There were men in hazmasks that ignored the heroes, as they continued to work with the chemicals.

“We don’t have time for them, come on,” Ladybug led Chat up the stairs to the second floor. This floor looked more like a bunch of offices, with dead bodies and piles of paper and money strewn everywhere. Chat and Ladybug moved towards the staircase towards the final floor, before they were stopped by a white hot beam the size of a palm, shoot down from the ceiling and through the floor. The beam left a hole, that started to sizzle and burn.

“What was that?” Chat asked, earning a shrug from Ladybug.

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t look good,” she replied. They both ran to the third floor, where more bodies were laid across the floor. At the far end of the room were two figures fighting. Void and another man in white. He wore a suit like the other men, but everything was white, his shirt, pants, jacket. There was a faint glow about him, as if he was covered in bubble.

“Is that a... _tiara_?” Chat noted, looking at the tiara the man was wearing above his head, making him look ridiculous. Ladybug ignored him, as she surveyed the scene. The man was shooting white beams at Void, who was stuck on defence, deflecting the beams with his purple shield, looking for any opening to get closer. Void threw whatever item he could come across, chairs, staplers, while he deflected, only for said item to harmlessly bounce off of the man. They seemed to be shouting at each other, but Ladybug and Chat Noir were too far away to understand.

“How is he doing that?” Ladybug inquired, as she began to step forward. Chat grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

“Wait, I recognize that tiara,” Chat looked from the man to her. “I saw it in a book. It’s the light miraculous.”

“But...how?” Ladybug gulped, as she continued to watch the pair fight. His beams were beginning to leave holes everywhere, burning through the wood.

“That must be DragonFire. He probably took it after killing Void’s partner,” Chat speculated.

“Well, what do we do now?” Ladybug sighed.  “We can’t let Void kill DragonFire. We need to take both of their miraculous and turn them over to the police.” She watched DragonFire shoot another beam, only to miss and burn through a piece of cloth, putting it on fire. “We have to do something quick, or else this whole place will catch on fire.”

“All right, you take DragonFire. I’ll go after Void,” Chat ordered.

“Are you sure? I don’t like this idea,” Ladybug bit her lip in worry.

“It’s the only one we have,” Chat replied, before running towards the pair, Ladybug following behind. They stopped fighting, having noticed the heroes incoming. Chat quickly pounced on Void with his extended baton, as Ladybug got DragonFire’s attention. Void blocked with his shield, before turning it into a sword.

“What are you doing!?” Void hissed at him as he blocked Chat’s baton with his sword.

“Stopping you from killing anyone else,” Chat continued to swing his baton, years of fencing training finally paying off as his technique was overwhelming Void.

“Me!? What about him!” Void pointed to DragonFire. “He killed my partner. He killed the girl I loved, and took her miraculous for his own selfish gains!”

“Don’t worry, Ladybug will take care of him too,” Chat growled at him. Chat was focus and collected, calculating every move he made against Void. He couldn’t mess up now. But Void was furious.

“I won’t let you take him in alive! I worked too hard for my revenge; I won’t let you take this away from me, Agreste!” Void was raging; his strength increasing as he blindly swung his weapon against Chat’s. Chat struggled to fight back. He glanced over to Ladybug, to see how she was faring. She had no problem dodging his beams, but her yo-yo would never connect. It would bounce off before it hit him, as if he had an invisible aura protecting him. Void continued to yell at Chat, as they fought, their fight going nowhere.

“How would you feel if he killed your partner, your girlfriend, and took her earrings, hmm?” Void asked, swinging his sword in an arch under Chat’s legs.

“I would make sure he rots in prison for the rest of his life!” Chat answered as he jumped over the sword. He hoped he was right, that he would do the ring thing if something like that happened. He hoped he wouldn’t have turned out like Void, hell bent on nothing but revenge.

 Suddenly Ladybug landed beside Void, briefly meeting eye contact with Chat and she winked. Chat was momentarily confused, before he saw her duck, and a white beam miss her and hit Void right in the shoulder.

“Fuck!” Void screamed, as he was knocked away, his shoulder singeing in heat.

Ladybug returned to fighting DragonFire, expecting Chat to take advantage of the time she bought him. But Void recovered fast, and so Chat ran towards DragonFire instead, with Void chasing behind him.

“Cataclysm!” Chat yelled as he bounced onto DragonFire, catching him off guard. Chat’s hand met an invisible force, only an inch away from his body. Suddenly the glow around his body was gone, which was immediately followed by a massive burst of energy, knocking everyone back, until they each hit a wall behind them.

Ladybug and Chat were the first to recover, both grunting as they rubbed their forehead. DragonFire was knocked out cold, but Void started to run to him.

“Ladybug! Get his tiara!” Chat commanded, as he ran to intercept Void. Chat ran as fast as he could, using his baton at the last possible moment for a speed boost, as he launched himself towards Void. Void almost made it to DragonFire’s body, before Chat tumbled into him, buying Ladybug more time. She made it to DragonFire, taking his tiara off his head.

“Got it!” she yelled out as she watched DragonFire de-transform in front of her. Chat got off of Void, as Ladybug came to stand by his side. “It’s over Void! Give up! You can’t face the two of us together!”

Void grit his teeth, as he looked to the both of them. Tears started forming in his eyes, which surprised both the heroes. “You just made this personal,” he spat at them. “I’ll make you pay dearly, don’t you forget.”

“Sure you will,” Chat smirked at him, as Ladybug threw her yo-yo at Void, who rolled away. Chat pounced at him, and Void jumped backwards as another canister materialized in his hands. He threw it on the ground, covering the area once more in smoke.

“I’m getting tired of this smoke,” Ladybug whined, as she coughed.

“Black Hole!” they both heard a voice yell behind them.

“Shit!” they hissed in unison. They ran blindly, until they had found their way out of the smoke. The wood was starting to crumble and break, as pieces of the floor floated towards the orb.

“DragonFire!” Chat remembered, as he ran back inside the smoke that was thinning out.

“Chat No!” Ladybug tried to grab him to stop, but was too late. She waited in anticipation, before Chat emerged from the smoke, holding the man over his shoulder.

“There’s still people on the first floor, we need to get them out!” Chat told Ladybug.

“Right!” Ladybug nodded, as they both ran down the stairs. They gestured the chemists to get out, as they reluctantly agreed once the chemicals and equipments started floating towards the ceiling. Soon the building was vacated, as Chat and Ladybug watched from outside.

“Do you see Void?” Chat asked Ladybug, who shook her head at him. They saw the building come apart, as flames weakened the wood, causing it to break, and cling towards the orb suspended high in the air. In just a matter of a few minutes, the entire upper half of the building was destroyed. Chat and Ladybug continued to look for Void. They only stopped once the orb had disappeared, causing all the wood to fall down in a large thud.

“Miraculous Ladybug!” Ladybug called out, repairing the structure. “Come on, you’re going to de-transform soon. We both need to recharge.”

Chat nodded, picking up a still unconscious DragonFire, and following Ladybug inside. They found a bathroom and de-transformed, feeding their Kwami’s whatever they had in their pockets. They didn’t take long to transform again. They led whoever was alive, through the tunnels and out of the catacombs, where a police car was awaiting, having come in for a noise complaint. Nonetheless, half of Paris’s cops were called out, to arrest everyone, including the thugs that now started to awaken. The police seized the drugs, and DragonFire was handed over. The entire street was closed, and several reporters had gathered around. Chat and Ladybug recounted what happened to the police and reporters. The entire ordeal took a couple of hours, until they were finally free. They made their way over to Marinette’s, pausing at a rooftop a street across from the bakery.

“I can’t believe a tiara is one of the miraculous jewellery,” Ladybug scoffed, as she examined it, before returning it back to Chat, who put it away in his pocket.

“He looked so ridiculous wearing it,” Chat noted, as Ladybug giggled at the image, before sighing.

“I can’t believe we let Void get away,” she frowned.

Chat grabbed her hands, squeezing it. “Don’t be sad, we did good today. We caught DragonFire, and every single one of his thugs. Not to mention how many people we saved by taking the drugs off the streets. It’s only a matter of time before we catch Void now, don’t worry.”

Ladybug smiled at Chat, who smiled back. They both gazed at each other, Chat still squeezing her hands. Chat leaned in closer, and Ladybug closed her eyes, leaning in as well. But they were interrupted as a muffled explosion was heard coming from inside the building they were standing on.

“What was that? “ Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo, scanning the rooftops.

“It came from within the building,” Chat told her. They both jumped off the roof, landing on the ground.

“There! The fifth floor!” Ladybug pointed at the smoke coming out of a window. Chat vaulted onto the window, opening it for Ladybug to swing into. They opened the room they were in, to see 3 kids and a mom bundled together in a corner, cowering in fear. Other than a few scratches, they were not seriously harmed. The apartment door was blown apart, indicating the blast had originated from just inside the door. There were people gathering at the broken door, as Chat kept them from moving inside.

“It’s ok, everything’s all right. What happened?” Ladybug gently asked the mom.

“It was that bad guy, Void,” a little boy no older than 10 answered. “He opened the door and put a box inside. And then it just exploded.”

“Ok thank you,” Ladybug smiled, patting the boy’s head while his mother kissed his forehead. “You all are being very brave. Just stay here okay? I’ll be right back.”

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Chat whispered to Ladybug as she made her way to him. “If Void wanted to kill these people, why not use a bigger bomb?”

“Why would he even want to in the first place?” Ladybug looked puzzled. “They don’t look like murdering, drug dealing criminals to me.”

Chat sighed, “We can figure it out later. Use your miraculous ladybug and let’s go recharge.”

Ladybug nodded, before throwing her yo-yo in the air, “Miraculous Ladybug!” The butterflies fixed the door, repaired the damages to the floor as well as healing the mom and her kids. They had only a moment to relax, before an even louder explosion was heard coming from the street across.

“Oh no,” Chat gulped as they both left the apartment via the closest window they could find. They landed on the ground, and could see smoke rise into the air. They both turned the street corner, only to freeze in their tracks. The bakery was the target of the explosion. The entire upper half of it was gone, and it was filled with smoke.

“NOOOO!” Ladybug shrieked as she ran as fast as she could over to the bakery. They both jumped over a small crowd forming in front and slammed through the front door. The ceiling was partly broken, with broken pieces of wood falling down. Her mom lay by the cash register and her dad just a few feet away, unconscious.

“Mom! No!” Ladybug gasped, as she knelt before her. Tom wasn’t bleeding. Just shallow cuts and bruised across his body. But Sabine had pieces of wood sticking into her body. She could hardly keep her eyes open, as she tried to talk, but only blood gushed out, adding to the pool already building up beneath her. Chat watched Ladybug wail while cradling her mom in her arms. Her earrings were beeping, and Chat knew she couldn’t cast another miraculous ladybug to repair everything without having to recharge first. They didn’t have time for that. Sabine closed her eyes, and Chat knew he only had moments to act before she couldn’t be saved anymore.

“Ladybug! Take my ring!” he brought his right hand closer to her, hoping she would catch on to his plan. But Ladybug didn’t seem to even hear him, as she continued to weep profusely into her mother’s chest. “Damnit!” Chat grabbed Ladybug by the shoulder pulling her away. He quickly pulled her earrings out, revealing a shocked Marinette, who gaped at him, not understanding what he was doing. Chat wore the earrings, waiting for his new transformation to finish before he grabbed the yo-yo and threw it into the air. “Miraculous Ladybug!” And just like before, everything was repaired, and everyone was healed.

“Ugh,” Tom grunted, as he got up, rubbing his head. “What happened?”

“Marinette?” Sabine asked in confusion, as she got on her feet.

“Mom!” Marinette rushed in to tightly hug her. “I was so scared; I thought I lost you.”

“It’s ok honey, Ladybug saved me, I think. I remember seeing her before it all went black,” Sabine wiped away her daughter’s tears, as they continued to hug it out.

“Chat?” Tom inquired, as he made his way over to his family and hug them. He wasn’t Chat, Chat didn’t have wings or a yo-yo.

“Uh yeah, it’s me, Chat,” he rubbed his neck nervously as he watched the three in a big group hug.

Marinette pulled away from the hug first, turning around to give Chat a big wide smile. “He saved us.”

Tom nodded at Chat, walking over and hugging him. “Thank you, son. You saved me and my wife.”

“Uh yeah, no problem,” Chat gulped. He was tense, but then Sabine came over hugging him alongside Tom.

“You’re always welcome here, and we’ll be more than happy to help if you need us,” she told him.

“Thank you,” Chat closed his eyes, as he relaxed, returning the hug. He had never felt this amount of parental affection since his mom died, and they weren’t even his parents. He was beginning to tear up at the comfort they provided for someone who wasn’t even their own son. They stayed for a few seconds, before they were forced to pull apart as the bakery door slammed open.

“How?! I made sure you didn’t have time to recharge! How did you cast another...” Void froze, as he examined the new Chat before him. Chat and Void looked at each other, ready to fight, as Marinette pushed her family further inside the bakery. Chat saw Void’s curious eyes dart to his new features, his wings, his new suit, and his new weapons. Chat was about to tear Void apart, before he noticed Void was looking back and forth from his ring and his earrings.

“Oh...” Void gaped at Chat. “I get it now. Don’t worry, I’ll still make you pay. Just you wait.”

Chat knew he was stronger, and so did Void. Chat flew towards Void, swinging his baton. Void rolled away, before creating a flash grenade and throwing it in the air. Chat clenched his eyes shut, and looked away. As soon as he heard the grenade go off, he opened his eyes again, Void was gone. Chat ran outside the bakery, looking for him, but there was no sign of him. He turned to the crowd of people gathering outside the bakery to ask for help, but they were covered in smoke. They hadn’t seen anything. Police and reporters were arriving on the scene, and so Chat turned to go inside the bakery and return her earrings. But he caught Marinette looking at him through the window. She pointed up with her finger, gesturing to meet her on her balcony. Chat nodded and jumped, opening her latch door, and jumping down to her room. He took off his earrings, and called off his transformation to let Plagg relax.

“You did good today, kid,” Plagg flew up to pat Adrien on the head, before grabbing some cheese left over on Marinette’s table. “And you said you didn’t deserve to be a hero. Tsk tsk.”

“I let Void get away, twice,” Adrien frowned.

“Maybe, but you also captured DragonFire and his evil henchmen,” Plagg took a bite of his cheese. “And you saved your girlfriend’s mom.”

“She’s not my girlfriend, not anymore” Adrien argued.

“Are you sure? Didn’t she almost kiss you earlier today?” Plagg reminded him.

“That was just a spur of the moment type thing, Plagg. It doesn’t mean anything,” Adrien replied.

“Riiiight,” Plagg sighed. “Whatever you say, kid.”

Adrien waited for almost an hour, it was getting late and dark outside and he was hungry. He talked with Plagg, while he waited. Plagg mostly teased Adrien about Marinette as Adrien swatted the Kwami away; their usual banter.

“Sorry!” Marinette opened her door, coming inside with a plate of food. “I had to answer all kinds of questions, you know how it is.”

“Here, your earrings,” Adrien extended his palm, as Marinette put the food on the table.

“Thanks,” she smiled sheepishly at him as she put her earrings on. Tikki appeared in front of Marinette, nuzzling her cheek and thanking Adrien, before running off with Plagg somewhere. They both sat down next to each other, hungry and ready to eat.

Marinette sighed, playing with her food. “I’m sorry.”

Adrien nearly choked on his confusion, “What for?”

“You tried to tell me...to take your ring and save my mom, but I didn’t understand,” Marinette looked down at her food.

“It’s not your fault, you were shocked and...”

“I know,” Marinette interrupted. “But afterwards...when you took my earrings again by force. I felt betrayed again, I felt like I made a grave mistake trusting you again...and I was going to lose my mother and you, and my earrings. I felt my hurt break into a million pieces...and it hurt so much, if only for a moment.”

“Oh,” Adrien frowned, looking away from Marinette.

“But...” Marinette quickly added, turning Adrien’s face so they both stared at each other. “I was wrong...I was _so_ wrong. You saved my mom’s life, healed my dad, fixed our bakery...I was so happy when I saw my mom get up with not a single scratch on her...And then when I saw them hug you...I’ve...I’ve never loved you more in my entire life.”

Adrien’s jaw dropped as he gaped at her. “Marinette...What are you saying?”

But she didn’t say anything. She grabbed the back of Adrien’s head, as she slammed her lips into his. Adrien was tense at first, not understanding what had just happened. But he eventually relaxed and kissed her back. They quickly got desperate and passionate. Kissing each other furiously while their hands roamed each other’s bodies. They would briefly pull apart from their kiss to catch some air, before returning. Their love was back, and they had a week’s worth of kisses to make up for. Adrien’s heart swelled with affection. His parents were gone, but he would never be alone, not as long as he had Marinette. After minutes of making out, their lips were sore, and their stomachs rumbling.

“We should probably eat first,” Adrien panted, his forehead resting atop hers.

“Yeah,” Ladybug giggled. “Making out requires energy.” They both returned to eating, occasionally giggling and nudging each other.

“Stay, in case Void decides to come back,” Marinette pleaded Adrien as she gathered the plates.

“Okay,” Adrien smiled at her.

They both agreed to watch a movie to help them relax from today’s events. The movie finished with them both sleeping on each other’s shoulders, exhausted.

 

 

Adrien woke up to a scream coming from downstairs, Marinette wasn’t by his side.

“Void!” Adrien hissed. “Plagg! Claws Out!” Chat ran down the stairs, only to see Marinette holding her hand over her gaping mouth. Her other hand held a note. Chat carefully walked over to her, grabbing the note out of her hand.

‘ _If you ever wish to see your parents again, bring Adrien and the Light miraculous.’_

Chat turned it over, to see an address. An address he knew all too well, for it belonged to his mansion.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading ^_^


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Finale

Adrien fell backwards into the couch behind him, gripping the note tightly in his hand as he de-transformed. Marinette followed him, as she eventually closed her gaping mouth and gulped. Plagg had hovered nearby, reading the note, before zipping back upstairs. The t.v was running in the background, replaying the news from last night, about the drug arrests and their bakery exploding. Adrien guiltily look at Marinette, who was just staring off into the distance. It was one thing to put Ladybug in danger because Void was after him, but her parents? They were just innocent civilians who had done nothing wrong. Void had just crossed a line, and Adrien was going to make sure he paid.

“We’ll get them back,” Adrien assured her, grabbing her hands in his. “I promise.”

Marinette nodded at him as she leaned her head in to rest on his shoulder, “Thank you.”

Adrien tensed up as she thanked him. “It’s all my fault. If Void wasn’t after me, then your parents would’ve been safe and...”

“It’s not your fault,” Marinette interrupted him. Adrien frowned and turned his face away. “Hey, look at me,” Marinette turned his cheek so they gazed at each other. “We’re going to rescue my parents, and then take down Void, understood?” Adrien weakly smiled and nodded at her. “Good.” Marinette pecked a kiss on his lips, before closing her eyes and resting her forehead atop his. They stayed in each other’s silent comfort for a while, before a loud bang was heard on the door.

“MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG!” A familiar voice shouted from behind their door. “You better open up this instant or I swear I will break this door down!”

“A-Alya!?” Marinette ran to the door, opening it up for her best friend. Alya walked in furiously, while Nino followed behind.

“Alright girl, it’s one thing to go M.I.A from school for a week, but to ignore all my calls and texts, especially after your house basically exploded,” Alya frowned at her friend, folding her arms. “Are you okay? And what the hell is going on?”

“Oh, I’m fine Alya, it’s just...I...uh,” Marinette stammered, looking anywhere but at Alya, not knowing what lie to tell her.

Adrien got up from his couch and walked over to Marinette, coming in to view. Both Alya and Nino gaped in surprise as they saw him approach. “Um, hi Nino, Alya,” Adrien shyly waved at them.

Nino opened his mouth to say something, but Alya interrupted him, her fury directed at Adrien instead. “You!” she pointed a finger in his chest, causing Adrien to defensively walk backwards, as Alya kept pushing him. “What are _you_ doing here?”

“Wh-What?” Adrien asked, as he walked backwards into a table, Alya’s finger pressing against his chest, turning into a fist, as she grabbed his shirt. She came closer, until her raging eyes were only a feet away from his.

“The girl you said you hurt at the dance, it was Marinette, wasn’t it?” Alya inquired.

Adrien stared at Alya, his face going into a frown as he recalled his previous actions. “Yes,” Adrien sighed, “I hurt Marinette...”

“And now we made up,” Marinette placed a hand on Alya’s shoulder. “Let him go Alya,” Marinette smiled at Adrien, “We’re fine. I promise he won’t ever hurt me again.”

Nino came over and placed his hand on Alya’s other shoulder. “Let go of him babe,” Nino urged her. “Come on, this is Adrien we’re talking about.” Nino smiled at Adrien as well, “I know my bro better than anyone else, he won’t ever hurt Marinette.”

Adrien stared at Nino and Marinette. He couldn’t believe how much they both trusted him. They were right of course, he won’t ever hurt Marinette. At least, not again.

Alya let go of Adrien in a huff, backing away so Adrien could breathe again. “If you ever hurt her again, there’s no where on Earth you can hide, got it?” Adrien nodded at her. “Good, now that that’s settled...,” Alya turned her direction at Marinette again. “Why haven’t you been answering my calls?”

“She was with me, I asked her not to,” Adrien lied.

“Yeah after the whole bakery incident, I didn’t want to talk to anyone but Adrien,” Marinette added to the lie. “Sorry.”

Alya softened up at the apology, “Why did the bakery explode, are you guys okay?”

“Yeah, we’re all fine,” Marinette told her. “Didn’t you um...see the news?”

“Yes, but the reporters got there too late, there’s only footage of the bakery after it was repaired by Ladybug,” Alya recounted. “There were also some eye witnesses saying they saw someone in black enter the building after Ladybug and Chat Noir went in. But they never saw anyone leave, as the area was covered in smoke. I thought at first it was Void, but Void wouldn’t have a reason to attack you or your parents, right?”

“Right! No! It wasn’t Void,” Marinette blurted out.

“It was an Akuma!” Adrien cut in. “Ladybug and uh, Chat Noir defeated him, and repaired the bakery!”

“Yeah, Adrien was with me, we were helping my parents when the Akuma came in,” Marinette comfirmed.

“Hmmm,” Alya hummed, “I knew it couldn’t be Void, because Void was across the street attacking a mother and her children at the time. There’s no way for him to come to the bakery afterwards, especially to hurt _innocent_ people such as Adrien...and you and your parents of course. No an Akuma makes more sense,” Alya tapped her finger on her lips.

“Hahaha, yeah exactly,” Adrien nervously laughed, glancing at Marinette who was tensely looking back at him as well. Did Alya know they were lying, and she was mocking them? Or did she really buy their story?

“Well! Now that we know everyone’s fine, how about we go to the movies or something?” Nino broke the tense atmosphere. “Can’t waste a perfectly good Sunday, can we guys?”

“Of course not, what do you say Marinette...Adrien?” Alya asked them.

“Oh we’d love to come,” Marinette walked to stand beside Adrien, wrapping her arm around his. “But we’re very tired. And we need some... _alone_ time,” Marinette hinted at her friend, while Adrien blushed and looked away from everyone.

“Oh!” Alya giggled, “Well don’t let me keep you away from that.” She walked over to Nino’s, grabbing his hands. “We can meet up later for dinner maybe?” Alya asked as she led Nino to the door.

“Sure, dinner sounds good!” Marinette smiled at her.

Alya walked over to the door, looking back at Marinette before she left, “You better not ignore me again, okay?” Marinette nodded at her apologetically. “Have fun you two!” she laughed as she closed the door.

“A-Alone time?” Adrien inquired, as Marinette went to sit back down on the couch.

“Yeah, to come up with a plan to save my parents,” Marinette frowned at him. “What did you think I meant?”

“Well...you know...kissing and making out,” Adrien replied as he sat beside her.

“Well that comes _after_ my parents are safe and sound,” Marinette smiled at him, before looking away deep in thought.

“I have an idea,” Adrien told her, “But I don’t know if it will work.”

“What is it?” Marinette curiously asked.

“Well...first of all,” Adrien pointed to his ring, “Do you have any rings lying around that look like this one?”

Marinette picked up his hand, examining his ring. “No, but I do have a silver ring that looks like that one, except without the paw print.”

“I guess that could work,” Adrien thought to himself.

“What are you thinking, Adrien?” Marinette asked.

“Well, I was wondering, I could wear a fake ring when going to meet with Void, and keep the real one hidden in my pocket. Then we offer the Light miraculous and myself for your parents. And to show that I mean no harm, I remove the fake ring, fooling Void. Void brings your parents, and I walk over with the tiara in my hands. Then, when I’m sure your parents are safe, I put my hands into my pocket, wearing the real ring and transforming as you do, and we both take out Void.”

“I don’t like this plan,” Plagg mumbled, as he appeared with cheese in his hands, Tikki following him with a cookie in hers.

“Yeah, what if Void gets his hand on the tiara miraculous?” Tikki asked. “Or if he gets to you before you can put on the real ring?”

“Well...the tiara miraculous is harmless unless there’s someone that wears it,” Marinette argued. “So Void getting his hands on it is fine as long as me and Adrien beat him in the end, before he does anything with it.”

“So you like my idea?” Adrien asked her.

Marinette nodded, “It’s the only one we have. Tikki, Plagg eat up, we have a big fight ahead of us.”

 

 

“This doesn’t feel right,” Nino sighed. They were both hiding behind a bush across the street from the bakery, waiting for their friends to leave.

“You saw what happened when we confronted them,” Alya frowned at Nino, “They both won’t tell us the truth. Following Adrien is the only way to find out what’s really going on.”

“I’m telling you, Adrien isn’t this new Hawkmoth dude,” Nino argued with her.

“You were there at the dance, you heard Void...” Alya argued back.

“All I heard was Adrien confess he hurt Marinette, nothing else,” Nino crossed his arms at her.

“Fine, fine...whatever,” Alya turned her attention back to the bakery. “But we both agree that Void is after Adrien, and he hurt Marinette and their bakery to get to him?” Nino nodded. “Good, then we follow Adrien, catch him turning into Hawkmoth Jr, and politely ask him to stop, so Void stops coming after him and putting my girl in danger.”

“Politely?” Nino scoffed. “There hasn’t been an Akuma in a week.”

“Yeah, do you really think it’s a coincidence Akumas stop appearing the day Marinette stops coming to school. My theory is Adrien didn’t make Akumas because he hurt Marinette in some way and he was too depressed. But now that they’ve apparently made up, I guarantee another Akuma is on its way.”

“Ughh,” Nino groaned, “this whole plan is stupid. He’s _not_ the new Hawkmoth. And you’ll see I’m right.”

“Shhh,” Alya shushed Nino, “Here they come. Here put this on,” Alya pulled out a hat and a fake beard.

Nino took the beard strapping it on, “This is stupid,” he whined as Alya wore the cap, tilting it so it covered half her face.

“This is genious,” Alya corrected Nino, “come on let’s go.”

They two carefully followed Marinette and Adrien from atleast a block away.

“Where do you think they’re going?” Nino asked, to which Alya just shrugged at. They eventually came to a stop a block away from Adrien’s mansion.

“Ok, what now?” Nino asked, as Adrien and Marinette walked through the front gates of his mansion. “Do we just follow them through the gate or...?”

“No, remember when you would sneak your way through to Adrien’s room?” Alya asked. Nino just nodded. “Yeah, lead the way.”

Nino jumped over the fence like he had dozens of times before. He led Alya across the field, until they reached the mansion. Nino couldn’t get to Adrien’s bedroom without a ladder, so instead they found a nearby open door, and walked into the empty mansion.

 

 

“This is it,” Marinette squeezed her hand holding Adrien’s.

“Yeah,” Adrien squeezed back. He checked to make sure he had the real ring in his pocket, while Marinette held on tight to the Light miraculous.

They both opened the door slowly, immediately welcome to the sight of Tom and Sabine, gagged and hands and legs tied up, as Adrien had once been, lying down in the centre of the lobby with the staircase behind them.

“Mom! Dad!” Marinette cried out, running towards them as they stared at her with wide eyes.

“Wait!” Adrien hissed, grabbing her arms to stop her. They both turned to see Void walking out of the shadows in the corner.

“Well,I’m glad you can finally make it. Only took you forever, it’s not like your parents were in danger or anything,” Void mocked the two.

“Let them go!” Marinette was furious, her face warped in anger. Tom and Sabine were clearly confused, but they continued to talk, only to be muffled by their gags.

“Shush,” Void kicked Tom in the back. “The grownups are talking.”

Marinette growled, clenching her fists hard as she rushed forward, only to be stopped by Adrien again. Marinette had lost her calm, as she fought against Adrien’s hold, and Adrien didn’t blame her. How would he feel if they were his parents, bound and left lying on the floor for who knows how long.

“Calm down, this isn’t going to help your parents,” Adrien whispered to her. “Stick to what we talked about.”

Marinette closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She had relaxed slightly so Adrien let go of her, but she was still as mad as ever.

“We’re here now! So let them go!” Marinette shouted at Void, who stood still behind her parents.

“Nuh-uh,” Void shook his head. “Hand over Adrien and that tiara first.”

“First you hand over my parents!” Marinette argued.

“Fine. As a show of good faith, I’ll let your mother go, if you throw me the tiara afterwards,” Void negotiated.

Marinette and Adrien looked to each other in agreement. “Fine, my mother first.”

Void conjured up a dagger, cutting the rope binding Sabine’s legs and pulling her up onto her feet. He pushed her forward making her stumble. Sabine looked back, into her husband’s eyes. Tom gestured for her to go with his head, and Sabine obliged. She ran right into her daughters arms.

“Mom!” Marinette sobbed, hugged her tightly while Adrien undid her ropes binding her arms, before throwing the tiara over. Marinette pulled away from the hug and removed the cloth from her mouth.

“Marinette! Sweety, what’s going on?” Sabine asked as her body shaked in fear.

“Mom, everything’s going to be ok. I’ll explain later, but I need to you be brave right now and let me and Adrien handle things,” Marinette squeezed her mother’s shoulder in assurance.

“Honey, I...”

“Marinette!” Adrien interrupted Sabine, as they focused their attention back to Tom. Void was now holding the giant man on his knees, with a dagger to his throat. Tom was squirming, trying to fight back, but even his sheer size was no match for the miraculous’ power. The tiara lay on the ground beside Void.

“Are you three done? Because I believe it’s Adrien’s turn to come over,” Void reminded them. “Unless of course you’d rather lose your dad. Who do you love more, your boyfriend and partner in crime, or your sweet innocent daddy?”

“Tom...no” Sabine gasped, as Marinette clenched her teeth.

“Hurry up!” Void shouted at him. “And take off your ring.”

“I’m coming!” Adrien spat at Void. Adrien walked a few feet forward, before raising his hand and making a show of removing his ring. Adrien made sure to cover the ring with his hands, so Void wouldn’t have a chance to see it was a fake. “There, I’m defenceless now!” So far so good, Void was going to be fooled, and this time, Ladybug and Chat Noir wouldn’t let him escape.

“Throw it over,” Void demanded. Adrien panicked, if Void got a good look at the fake ring, things could go very wrong. So taking a chance, Adrien threw his ring over Void, making it land somewhere along the stairs.

Void muttered a curse word, as he watched the ring fly by him. “Fine, whatever, good enough. Marinette, you too, throw your earrings over...to _me_.”

“What! You want me not her!” Adrien blurted out.

“That may be, but we don’t want sweet Marinette doing something stupid now, do we?” Void looked to Tom, earning a mumbled groan from the man, before looking to Adrien again. “Something like transforming and trying to save you again.” Void’s hold on Tom tightened, his dagger brushing against Tom’s neck.

“Marinette...what is he saying...what’s so important about your earrings?” Sabine confusingly asked.

“Ok Void, I’m taking them off!” Marinette ignored her mom, as she took off her earrings. Unlike Adrien however, she threw her earring so it landed only a meter beside Void.

Adrien swore under his breath, this wasn’t going according to plan. But it wasn’t as bad as it looked. He could still become Chat Noir. He would just need to find a way to grab those earrings when the fight started, before Void did.

As the earrings landed, Void moved forward, mirroring Adrien. They both eventually met in the middle. And then everything happened in an instant, Void pushed Tom forward, creating space between him and Adrien. Adrien saw Marinette run into Tom, so he knew it was time. He reached into his pocket, as Void pulled his dagger down onto Adrien. Adrien wore his ring inside his pocket, immediately calling out the transformation, as his left hand moved upwards to block Void’s assault. As Adrien’s hand blocked Void’s arm, Chat Noir appeared before everyone. Chat was oblivious to the gasps that emanated from behind him, as well as from a supposedly empty room to his right.

“What the...!” a voice yelled from a room to their right, causing everyone to look towards it, just in time to see Nino and Alya emerge into the lobby.

Chat took the opportunity to roll forwards, grabbing the earrings. However Void was quick to copy, as he went for the tiara instead. Adrien threw the earrings towards Marinette who ran to him. She caught the earrings mid air and transformed, standing beside Chat Noir as Ladybug. There would be time to deal with the aftermath of their reveal later. Right now they needed to protect the 4 people who they cared for the most.

“What are they doing here?” Ladybug groaned, as she saw Alya and Nino join her parents, all four gaping at them with open mouths. Adrien shrugged at her, focusing back onto Void. He was examining the tiara, turning it over and looking at it for while.

“I knew you guys would try something, instead of just letting Adrien die,” Void smirked at them. “That’s why I asked for the tiara first.” Ladybug and Chat looked at him confusingly. “I hope this works.” Void closed his eyes, as he slowly lifted the tiara onto his head.

Chat and Ladybug stared in horror, as a new transformation washed over Void. His pitch black suit now had white streaks swirling around, as if it was alive. His goggles became bright white, radiating light from them. His left glove became white as well, while his right remained black. However, the most noticing change were the angel wings sprouting from his back.

“Divine Shield!” Void called out, as the familiar white glow from yesterday appeared around him. Chat growled, pouncing at Void with his baton, as he conjured up a sword. Before, they had been equally powerful, only Adrien’s fencing ability giving Chat the upper hand when he was fighting Void yesterday. Now, every swing Void took, that Chat could have easily parried or countered, had too much power behind it. Chat was left being forced backwards as Void smiled at him.

Ladybug trusted her partner to take care of himself for a moment. She ran back to her parents. “Alya! Nino! Get them out of here! Please! Make sure they’re safe!”

Alya nodded, grabbing her parents and tugging them back towards the doors. Her parents shouted in protest, about helping their daughter, but Nino and Alya were too forceful.

“I have to help my daughter! I can’t just stand here and wait!” Tom was pacing around in front of the mansion gates, while Nino and Alya rested against the wall.

“You know there’s nothing we can do, they’re superheroes...” Sabine tried to reason with him. “We will just end up getting in their way. We can be a liability.”

“I know...I know,” Tom sighed, slumping down against the wall. “It’s just...our _daughter_ is Ladybug. Ladybug!”

“We always knew she was special didn’t we?” Sabine sat down next to her husband, entwining their fingers together. “She was saving Paris and being a hero right under our very noses.”

“I don’t approve of this,” Tom told her. “Of her being Ladybug, and putting herself in danger.”

“Neither do I,” Sabine agreed. “I don’t want to see her get hurt.” She looked at Tom in the eyes, “But...I don’t think it’s our choice to make. It’s hers and we have to support her decision. We have to show that we have her back, and that she can rely on us. We have to be there for her.”

“Her...and Adrien,” Tom added. Sabine smiled at him, leaning her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her body.

Nino stared at the parents as he leaned against the wall. Alya was standing with him, both some distance from them.

“I told you he wasn’t Hawkmoth,” Nino smirked at his girlfriend. “He’s Chat fucking Noir.” Nino was still shocked, but he was also ecstatic. “My best friend is Chat Noir. Chat Noir!” he loudly whispered to Alya, who was just as much in shock as he was.

“And mine is Ladybug,” Alya gulped. “This kinda explains a lot.” She chuckled at Nino.

“Yeah it does,” Nino laughed back. “I can’t believe it. Our friends are superheroes.”

“Yeah,” Alya’s laughter died out, turning into a frown.

“What’s wrong?” Nino asked in worry.

“It’s just...this whole time...for 3 years,” Alya saddened. “Marinette always told me everything. _Everything._ I can’t help but feel betrayed. That she didn’t trust me enough with this.”

“Don’t say that babe, you know it’s not true,” Nino assured Alya. “They must have had to hide their identities, to keep us safe. Imagine if Hawkmoth had made you or me into an Akuma, and figured out that Marinette was Ladybug, or Adrien was Chat Noir.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Marinette is your best friend, and that’s not going to change,” Nino smiled at Alya who now smiled back. They both leaned in for a comforting kiss, only being pulled out once they heard a loud rumble coming from the mansion.

 

 

 

Ladybug and Chat Noir were at a standstill against Void. Chat was getting nowhere fighting melee with Void, as Void was too powerful for Chat, leaving Chat with no option but to dodge or leap away. Ladybug was having no luck with her yo-yo, as it kept bouncing off the shield surrounding Void. Void was attacking Chat with the sword in his right hand, as he fired beams of light from his left at Ladybug, preventing her from getting close. They needed to come up with a plan, fast. Or else at this pace, Void would tire them out, and easily defeat them.

Chat rolled away once more, as Void’s sword swung down, hitting the floor where he used to be. Void brought the sword back, using his left hand to fire beams at Ladybug as she swung away to avoid them. Chat met Ladybug’s eye contact, and he gestured her up the stairs. Ladybug nodded, and they both leapt onto the staircase, running side by side up to the second floor, and across the hallway.

“Cowards!” Void yelled at them, as he flew up with his wings. Chat pulled Ladybug into the closest room besides them, before Void had a chance to turn the corner and see them hide. Chat led Ladybug deeper into his mansion, going through door after door, until they found themselves hidden in a bathroom. They could hear Void slamming doors open, as he cursed under his breath.

“I have to use my cataclysm to break that shield,” Chat told her. “But that means I’m going to de-transform soon after.”

“Why can’t we use my lucky charm?” Ladybug inquired.

“Because only my cataclysm is guaranteed to remove his shield,” Chat argued. “We can’t risk the both of us de-transforming.”

“There’s another way,” Ladybug looked at Chat. “Take my earrings, then you will be as powerful as him.”

“Why don’t you take _my_ ring?” Chat retorted.

“Because you have more experience?” Ladybug argued back. “Why are you arguing with me on this. Don’t you know by now I trust you?”

“I know,” Chat sighed. “But what if I fail and don’t stop him? If I lose, then we all lose. There won’t be a Ladybug by my side to help me.”

“I’ll be there...I’ll do whatever I can as Marinette,” Ladybug de-transformed, taking off her earrings and handing it to Chat. “I know you can do it, Chat. I believe in you.” Marinette leaned in for a brief kiss.

They heard a faint yell of Void calling his Black Hole. The bathroom walls started to rumble and shake. Chat would be fine, but Marinette wouldn’t.

“I have to get you to safety,” Chat urged, putting on the earrings and waiting for the transformation to finish. He grabbed Marinette with his left arm and broke his way out of the house, casting Cataclysm on any walls in his way. He flew into the sky, watching the mansion below him tear apart.

“This would be so beautiful...if the circumstances were different,” Marinette awed as she gazed at the view of her city while holding on to Chat. Being atop the Eiffel tower and looking out into the city was one thing, but being able to fly and get your own view from any angle you desired was something else.

“Yeah,” Chat sighed. He noticed Nino and Alya waving at them from the ground below. Chat flew over to them, releasing Marinette on her feet as he landed.

“Get as far away from here as you can,” Chat ordered his friends.

“Be careful Adrien. I’m going to take my parents home,” Marinette gave Chat a quick kiss on the lips, before turning around to meet her parents in a hug.

Chat blushed briefly, before flying back up into the sky. He hovered in front of what remained of his house. The ground floor stood, but the rest of his mansion hovered mid air, the rubble in the shape of a sphere. Chat could guess the purple orb was in there somewhere. Would the orb disappear after some time, or stay until Void took off his tiara or de-transformed? Did Void’s powers work like his, meaning Void could summon multiple orbs? Chat didn’t know, but he had a feeling he was going to find out.

Chat examined the remains for a while, looking to find Void. A door opened, and Void stepped out. Void seemed furious, he was looking for Chat and Ladybug. Void snooped around, throwing rubble into the air, probably hoping Chat or Ladybug had been stuck underneath. Chat extended his baton, flying closer to Void. Void finally saw Chat, creating a sword in his right hand. Void then launched himself into the air with his angel wings, heading straight for Chat. They met in the middle, baton clashing against sword. There was still tremendous power behind Void’s swing, but Chat now met him with just as much force. They were equally matched in strength once again.

“I’m going to fucking kill you!” Void hissed at Chat, as he swung his sword again and again at Chat.

“I’d like to see you try,” Chat retorted, carefully parrying and countering Void.

They were fighting in the air, moving around with their wings. Chat was more experienced with his wings, so he was able to manoeuvre around more gracefully than Void. Chat used this to his advantage, moving around quickly to Void’s back after dodging his attack. First Chat removed his shield with a cataclysm. Then Chat landed a hit or two to his ribs or back. However, Void was a quick learner, Chat came to realize. Chat was losing his upper hand. As Chat glided around, Void was able to keep up with him, not letting a failed swing of the sword give his opponent an advantage. Soon they were in a standstill, and they both realized one of them was going to have to do something different, if they wanted to win.

Void finally saw his moment, Chat had been a bit too slow in dodging his attack. Void kicked Chat as hard as he could, making Chat fly some distance through the air, before his wings countered the momentum. However as Chat recovered, he was met with fiery blasts of white beams coming from Void’s left arm. The beams flew through the air, missing Chat and hitting whatever buildings were behind him. They caused small explosions, destroying building walls and causing smell debris to rain down onto the street below.

Chat panicked, as he focused his best on flying fast and avoiding the beams. He watched the buildings behind him get bombarded with small blasts as he flew across. People were screaming and running out of the buildings and into the street, gaping when they saw Void and Chat battle it out in the air.

Chat tried to fly higher, so the beams would shoot into the sky instead, but he momentarily froze as he saw Nino and Alya run into an apartment building as herds of people were running out. What the hell were his friends thinking? He didn’t have time to go save them.

Void’s beam connected with Chat’s back, as Chat realized just how badly he had messed up when he stopped for a brief second. He fell down towards the street below him, his wings were searing in pain. Chat landed hard on the road below him, cracking the pavement. The suit absorbed the damage, but his back was in white hot pain, as he lay down on the ground. He couldn’t feel his wings, he couldn’t fly, at least not until he called his miraculous ladybug. Chat reach for the yo-yo, but Void’s boot slammed down hard against his wrist stopped him.

“Uggghh!” Chat grunted in pain. He brought up his baton, ready to defend himself as Void brought his sword down fast. Chat was ready to block, but he wouldn’t need to. The sword was knocked away by a blue beam. Void cursed, rolling away to grab his sword off the ground, giving Chat an opportunity to heal himself, and the buildings around him.

Chat got up fast, putting his yo-yo away. He stared at Void, who was looking at someone else. Chat followed Void’s gaze to find the man who had rescued him. He was wearing a white, blue and red suit, with a big gold badge in the middle of his chest and a baton strapped to his side. He was wearing a police hat and firing beams with a gun.

Chat watched Void fire his white beams back at the stranger, who in turn ran inhumanely fast, trying his best to avoid the beams as he shot back. He crouched behind a car, shooting back at Void, who also took cover behind an alleyway.

“What’s the matter Agreste? You know you can’t take me on by yourself?” Void taunted at him, as he took cover from blue beams.

Chat ran to the car where his ally was hiding. “Who are you? Are you an Akuma?”

“My name’s Mark. I think I’m an Akuma? But...a good one?” Mark wondered, while blindly firing at Void.

“What?” Chat looked confused.

“Look, I’m an off duty cop. I see buildings getting destroyed and I run inside to help people,” Mark answered. “All of a sudden I see a white butterfly land on my badge, and I hear Ladybug talking to me.”

“Ladybug?” Chat puzzled. “What did she say?”

“She said that she will give me the power to help people, and to help you if you needed it, if I accepted,” Mark fired a few more shots at Void, before ducking as Void fired back. “I accepted it and transformed.” Mark’s face suddenly glowed, as he nodded. “Ladybug says hi, and that she’s coming to help.”

Chat smiled, even as Marinette she found a way to help him, through the brooch he had given her that day. She was truly wonderful. His smile faded not soon after as he saw Mark leave his cover, standing out in the open.

“Duck! You’re going to get hit!” Chat yelled at him.

“He’s gone,” Mark told him, running towards the alleyway.

Chat gulped, looking around for Void. He couldn’t let him get away, not again.

“Up there!” Mark pointed above them. Chat looked up just in time as he heard several cries of Void shouting his Black Hole. The orbs phased through the buildings, causing them to shake. Chat gritted through his teeth, Void was putting civilians in harm’s way.

“What’s it going to be, champ?” Void smirked at Chat. “Fight me, or save these poor people?”

“You! Distract Void as much as you can. Don’t let him leave your sight!” Chat directed Mark, who nodded back at him. Mark fired cover fire at Void, who flew around, returning his own shots. Chat took the distraction and flew into the first building Void had put an orb into. It was an apartment building. Chat was a few floors beneath the orb, he knew the radius of effect wasn’t enough to bring the whole building down, so he didn’t worry about the lower floors. Chat ran from door, knocking at them, telling everyone to evacuate. Most people had already left from earlier, but those lingering took the shaking building as a sign to finally leave. Chat sighed in relief as he ran from floor to floor, finding all doors open and empty. He would cast his yo-yo into the air every minute, repairing everything, before it started to break all over again. Chat finally reached the orb, that lay in the center of a hallway. There were 3 people stuck to it, crying out for help. Chat grabbed all 3, using his powerful wings to defy the orb’s pull as he flew them, landing them to safety. Chat flew back into the building as he secured the upper floors. He called his miraculous ladybug every few seconds, putting the walls and doors back into place, before they started to break again. It was a temporary fix, but it would do for now.

Once Chat was sure the building was safe enough to be destoryed, he flew to the adjacent one. He recognized this building. It was the one Alya and Nino had run into. It was a commercial building, and so there were big windows on each floor. He flew up, looking through the windows to see if anyone was in trouble. It was mostly empty, so Chat kept flying up, calling his miraculous ladybug every few seconds. He felt a white beam miss past him. Chat turned his head, to see Void staring up at him, before Mark got his attention back. Mark was doing good, but Chat knew it won’t last long. He didn’t know how powerful the Akuma would be if Void decided to get up close and use his strength to fight instead of beams that could be avoided. Nonetheless, Chat didn’t have time to worry, he repaired the buildings once again and started to fly up. Chat paused at a floor, as he saw a well dressed man clung to the ceiling as were all the nearby chairs and tables that weren’t attached to anything. Chat broke through the window, and ran to the man.

“Help me! Please!” the man pleaded, as the ceiling started to crack. Chat called his miraculous ladybug, repairing the ceiling and putting the tables and chairs back, before they were pulled upwards once again by the orb. The man was put on the ground, and Chat grabbed him before he could be lifted upwards. Chat prepared for the pull, ready to use his wings to get the man to safety, but nothing happened. Instead the chairs and tables fell, and the ceiling stopped cracking. The man left Chat’s grasp, running towards the staircase. Chat flew outside, flying up a floor. He expected the orb to disappear, which would explain why the pull had stopped. Instead Chat saw a green shield covering the orb. Chat flew through the window, getting closer to the orb. But then he froze in his tracks, as he saw an old man, Alya and a green suited person. Another Akuma? But how was Marinette able to create two? And most importantly, how did he neutralize the orb’s pull?

“Alya, get this man and yourself to safety!” Chat ordered. “Where’s Nino?”

“Bro, I’m right here,” Nino pointed out. “Check it out, this old dude gave me his bracelet, and now I’m a superhero, just like you.”

“And me too,” Alya cut in, grabbing a necklace from the old man’s hand and wearing it. An orange fox-like Kwami appeared. “Trixx, right?” The old man and the Kwami both nodded at her. “Cool. Trixx, transform me!”

Chat’s jaw dropped, as he stared dumbfounded at the sight before him. Alya and Nino had come in contact with miraculous jewels just like his, but how?

“M-Master Fu?” Chat whipped around, having heard that all too familiar voice. They all stared as Marinette, in Hawkmoth’s suit and cane, floated towards them on a cloud of white butterflies. As she came closer, the butterflies gave way, and Marinette stumbled her landing.

“Marinette!” Chat caught her in her arms, before she could trip.

“Sorry!” she grimaced, “still getting used to this.”

“Ahh, Marinette,” Master Fu gently stroked his beard. “Glad you can join us.”

“Wh-What’s going on here?” Marinette asked. “I saw Chat going inside here and followed him.” She turned to look at the two new heroes. “Did you give these two a miraculous?”

“What?” Chat gasped, looking at the old man. “You have miraculous jewellery?”

“Chat, he’s Master Fu, the Guardian of our miraculous. I met him once when Tikki got sick, and that’s when he told me...he gave us our miraculous,” Marinette explained.

“What!? Why didn’t you tell me?” Chat inquired.

“The topic never came up,” she shrugged.

Master Fu waited for them to finish, before pacing around to the orb. The four heroes followed him. “I gave you two a miraculous to fight Hawkmoth with because you helped an old man like me. And now Paris needs more defenders.” Master Fu turned around, to meet the two new heroes. “I’ve been looking for new heroes for the past week. I’m glad I happened to be nearby as I saw these two helping those in need. They’ve earned their miraculous.”

“Welcome to the team you two,” Marinette waved at them.

“Glad to be here...Marinette,” the orange hero grinned at her, making Marinette flinch. She forgot that Chat had called her by her real name in front of them.

“Oh! Uh...Marinette is just my superhero name...not-not my civilian name,” Marinette blurted out.

“Ugh,” Chat groaned, slapping his hand on his face. “Marinette, meet Alya and Nino.”

“Wh-WHAT!” Marinette’s jaw dropped, as they all chuckled.

“Actually, I think I prefer to be called Jade Turtle,” Nino corrected Chat, playing around with his green, shell shaped shield.

“And I’m...,” Alya pondered for a bit, tapping her flute against her chin. “Vixen? Yeah Vixen.”

Marinette’s awe was immediately overcome with pain, as she cringed while Chat came over to comfort her. “My champion, he’s in trouble.”

That had brought the four out of their bubble and into the real danger that still threatened them.

“Go! Remember what I thought you Ni-Jade,” Master Fu told the green hero. “Take care of the purple spheres!”

Chat panicked, remembering he hadn’t cast his miraculous ladybug in a while. He flew out, examining the remaining buildings. There were 5 left, and Chat could see the buildings crumpling from within. The outside walls and windows cracked. Chat repaired the buildings, hoping no one was too seriously injured during his intermission. He could see several police officers assisting people on the ground, as well as firefighters who ran inside, carrying people out of the building. He saw people leave ambulances who had been fully healed by his powers. Chat looked down to see Void battling it up close with Mark, just what Chat had feared. Void was too powerful, as his sword knocked back Mark, who desperately tried to defend as best as he could with his baton. Mark wasn’t bleeding, but there was blood on his suit. Void had probably managed to land a few hits, before Chat healed him.

“Chat,” Marinette tapped Chat’s shoulder, getting his attention. She was suspended mid air, on a cloud of butterflies, along with Vixen and Jade by her side. “You take Vixen and fight Void. Me and Jade will go and remove his orbs from the equation. Once we know the civilians are safe, we will join you back.”

“All right, sounds good,” Chat nodded, picking up Vixen from the cloud.

“Oh and Chat, don’t let him cast any more black holes,” Marinette warned him. “Lure him to your mansion, there’s plenty of space to defeat him there,” she pointed across the street, to his now repaired house. Chat nodded, and they both flew off. Chat dropped Vixen a few meters away from where Void was fighting Mark.

“Master Fu told me how to use the flute, but this is still my first time,” Vixen frowned. “Sorry if I mess up something.”

“Don’t worry about it, just try your best. We need to get his tiara off first,” Chat smiled at her, before turning back to the scene at hand. Mark looked tired, and wearied out. Chat growled, his anger coming back to him. He flew fast towards Void, bringing his leg up to meet Void’s side, kicking him a few good meters away. Mark fell onto his knees, panting for much needed air as he finally relaxed.

“I’m sorry, I did the best I could,” he told Chat.

“Don’t be, you did good today, thank you,” Chat smiled at him. “Go get some rest.” A white butterfly flew out from the man’s badge, reverting him back to his civilian form.

“Give him hell, Chat Noir,” Mark groaned at him. He gave Chat a small smile, as he headed towards the police perimeter around the block.

Chat focused back on to Void. He was firing beams at holograms of Vixen that disintegrated when hit. He saw the real Vixen hiding behind a car, playing her flute to create more illusions that sprang up in random locations.

“Where are you!?” Void yelled, as he swung his sword through another fake Vixen. “Stop hiding!”

“I’m right here!” Chat came back into the picture, swinging his baton hard at Void’s back. The baton simply bounced off before hitting Void, and Chat realized he had re-summoned his shield.

“I don’t care how many Akumas your girlfriend makes, I’ll take you all down,” Void turned around, back to fighting Chat once again.

“She’s not an Akuma,” Chat corrected him, dodging another swing, as the sword cut the empty car behind him in half. “She’s a miraculous hero. Not that you know what that means!”

“Oh and you do?” Void retorted, swinging his sword in an arc, wiping away nearby Vixen holograms. “You...who terrorized Paris just like your dead daddy.”

Chat hissed, using his wings to ram forward, throwing Void backwards. “Ok, I made some mistakes in the past, but I never put anyone in serious danger...unlike you!” Chat pointed up to the buildings beside them. Chat could still see three buildings crumbling and breaking inside. He hoped Marinette and Nino would be able to negate the orb’s effects quickly.

“That was just to distract you!” Void explained, as he shot beams at more approaching holograms. Chat knew Alya was trying her best, but he needed something more if he wanted to beat Void. Right now, he hoped he could stall Void long enough until Nino was done saving everyone, then Void would not last against all four of them.

Chat flew with his baton raised, smashing it against Void’s sword, as they continue to battle it out. “Distract me? By putting innocent lives in danger?” Chat asked. “You know...I understood you once. You were a vigilante who only wanted to put the bad guys out for good. I didn’t approve but I understood. But this...this doesn’t make you a hero, nor a vigilante.” Chat swung his baton, meeting Void’s sword. But instead of backing off, his baton clung against Void’s sword as Chat moved closer, until his face was just inches from his. “This just make you a terrorizing criminal. You hypocrite!”

Void yelled out in anger, pushing Chat off him with his sword. Void ignored the illusions around him now, as he furiously swung his sword at Chat. “Fuck you! You don’t know what I’ve been through! I lost everything! My parents, my beloved partner!”

“So did I!” Chat deflected again. He saw the real Vixen come up behind Void this time. She tried to use her flute to knock the tiara off, but her flute bounced off Void’s shield. Void simply kicked backwards, hitting Vixen in the chest, not even turning around to give her any more attention as she flew backwards, grunting in pain.

“And look what losing your dad did to you!” Void smirked, as Chat was walking backwards across the street until he hit his mansion’s wall behind him. “You were just one step away from being me. And you know what that step was?” Void asked as he brought his sword down, smashing a hole into the wall, as Chat rolled away.

“What?!” Chat asked, flying over the freshly made hole, and into his mansion’s lawns. Chat internally sighed, as Void followed him inside. Void wouldn’t be able to hurt any more people from this distance with his abilities. Not that Void seemed to want to, as he was purely focused on Chat.

“Ladybug,” Void answered. “If you had lost her along with your parents, you would have turned out just like me!”

“Never!” Chat retorted.

“You would walk to the ends of the Earth to avenge her! You wouldn’t let some self-proclaimed heroes stop you. Just like how I won’t let you stop me!” Void hissed at him, as they continued to fight, Chat luring him farther and farther into the open area of his giant lawn. “I’m going to kill you, and then find that son of a bitch DragonFire in prison, and kill him too!”

“And then what?!” Chat growled, dodging to the side to avoid another swing. “What will you do once you get your revenge?!”

Void paused for a moment, as Chat collected himself, gripping his baton harder. “Make sure no one else has to suffer like I had. I’ll make the world a peaceful place, one death at a time.”

Chat scoffed at Void, almost feeling sorry for him. How delusional must he be, by thinking his actions were going to bring more peace? Especially when behind him stood damaged buildings and terrified people as proof against him. Chat was about to point this out when he saw Vixen come running through the hole.

“Illusory Army!” she exclaimed, throwing her flute into the air. Void and Chat turned around to look at her, watching as the flute fell back down onto her hands. She stared at the flute, sighing, “Damn, I hoped that will work.” Void turned his attention back to Chat, swinging his sword. “ILLUSORY ARMY!” she shouted again, but this time neither Void nor Chat stopped their battle to give her attention. In just moments thought, their vision was filled with numerous amounts of Vixens running about. Chat used his wings to fly back and upwards. He looked down to see at least about 30 or so illusions surrounding Void.

Void simply smirked, raising his sword and swinging it in an arc. But the sword stuck to the first illusion, creating a deep wound making the girl bleed. But she didn’t react, as she grabbed the sword, while the others pounced on him. Chat realized they weren’t illusions; they had mass and apparently felt no pain. Chat scanned the area, sighing in relief when he found the real Vixen not amongst them, but leaning against a tree, exhausted.

Chat smiled at her, she had bought him a welcome distraction. He saw Void lose his sword to about 5 Vixens, as the others jumped on him, bounced off by his shield. The shield he needed to break. Chat flew down, yelling his Cataclysm, as Void looked up at him in panic. His hand met his shield, creating a force that blew back all the Vixens, but Chat and Void only a few feet apart.

“Shit!” Void swore, taking off into the air, with Chat following close behind. Chat couldn’t let him call his shield again, he needed to take the tiara, especially now that his sword was gone. The opportunity was now, but Chat was unable to catch up to Void, as they were the same speed. “DIVINE SHIE...”

Void was interrupted, as Marinette flew over on her butterfly cloud, knocking the tiara of his head in a single swoop of her cane. Chat stopped flying as he saw Jade jump after the tiara, grabbing it in his hand. Chat flew after Jade, grabbing him and bringing him safely down, as Marinette joined them hopping off her butterflies. Alya ran over as well, as Void fell down, having lost his wings.

“Nino!” she beamed as she hugged her boyfriend. “I did it! My ability worked!”

“The second time,” Chat mocked her, earning a punch to his shoulder. Chat smiled at the four, his friends were by his side, united in taking down a common enemy. It felt surreal, like something out of a superhero movie.

“Dude, you might wanna do your thing where you fix everything. There were a few people seriously hurt back there,” Nino advised Chat. Chat nodded and turned to look at the buildings, calling his miraculous ladybug to fix everything once again, permanent this time. The butterflies flew around the block, repairing the buildings and anyone inside. They turned to see Void get on his feet. He created a canister out of his right hand.

“Smoke!” Chat yelled, using all the power in his wings to fly foward before Void had a change to use it. Chat rammed into Void, knocking him backwards. Chat flew over, pressing his leg against Void’s back as he went for the bracelet.

“NOO! BLACK HO...!” Void’s desperately tried to yell. But it was too late, as the bracelet slid off him, and into Chat’s hands. Void de-transformed as his friends caught up to him, watching Jacob appear before them.

“It’s over Jacob! You won’t harm anyone else ever again!” Marinette cried out. Chat handed Marinette the bracelet, with his leg still pressed against Jacob, pinning him to the ground.

“Just kill me,” Jacob sobbed, surprising the four heroes. “You took everything from me. My revenge is all I had, and you took it from me.”

“You’re going to wish you were dead,” Chat hissed at him. “As you rot away in prison.”

Chat grabbed Jacob, pulling him up to his feet and escorting him to the nearest police car. The officer looked at the four confusingly.

“Officer, this is Void,” Chat pointed to Jacob. “Void meet your arresting officer.”

The officer’s face fumed, “Void, you’re under arrest.” Jacob was handcuffed, as his rights were read to him. The officer thanked Chat and his friends, as the group took off, all landing on a nearby rooftop. Chat took off his earrings, handing them over to Marinette.

“Thank you,” she said, taking off her brooch to wear the earrings instead. She transformed back into Ladybug. “Ahh, this feels so much better.” Marinette turned to meet Vixen, and immediately sighed.   
“I wanted to say this earlier, but didn’t get the time. I’m sorry Alya. For not telling you about this before.”

Vixen came in for a hug, “It’s ok Marinette, I understand.”

“You’re not mad?” Marinette asked, hugging her best friend back.

“Well I was, but I’m way too happy to be mad at you right now,” Alya pulled back, grinning. “I mean, my best friend is a superhero who’s been protecting Paris for years. That’s amazing! _You’re_ amazing!”

The two friends laughed, while Chat awkwardly stared at Jade. “Nino, I’m...”

“Oh no!” Jade walked over to Chat, picking up his friend and twirling him around in a hug. “You have nothing to apologize for bro.” Jade put Chat down, and with one hand on Chat’s and another tugging Ladybug and Vixen together to him, he enclosed everyone in a group hug. “This is going to be so awesome! The four of us working together as heroes! Defending Paris against the forces of evil!”

“We should get a team name,” Vixen suggested. “Like the Justice League.”

“Yeah absolutely. What about Team Miraculous?” Jade added.

“We can talk about that later. Your parents are probably worried about you. You should get back to them,” Marinette worried. “Meet at the Eiffel tower today at 9 for patrol. You guys have a lot to learn.”

Jade and Vixen nodded, before they both took of jumping across rooftops. Ladybug grabbed Chat’s hand, “Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?” Chat asked.

“I think it’s time you stopped hiding in my room and met my parents, don’t you?” Ladybug laughed as Chat gulped. “Don’t worry, it won’t be too bad.”

Her parents were worried, but in the end they ultimately decided to support their daughter and Adrien. They ensured them both that they will always be there for them, including Adrien, if they needed anything. The following night, they met up atop the Eiffel tower. Each explained to others what their powers were, and how they were used. Their Kwami told them what Master Fu didn’t have time to.  Such as how Kwami needed to be fed certain foods to recover, or how their transformation will start to run out of time after using their abilities. The four took off on patrol, Ladybug and Chat guiding them on the routes. The city was congratulating the heroes on a job well done. People waving and clapping as they jumped roof to roof. No one had died that day. And now because of them, Void was in custody. As was a notorious drug lord. The streets were safe again, save for the common mugger or thief.

The next day, the heroes held a press conference. They announced Jade Turtle and Vixen to the city. As well as warning the police department that they had corrupt cops in their midst that worked with Void. Void quickly gave them up when interrogated, causing multiple arrests across the city. The people that had previously sided with Void, quickly turned against him, as the events of yesterday had caused innocent people to be put in harm.

As the days passed by, life in Paris returned to normal. No more Akumas, no more dead people showing up on the streets. No more mass murders occurred, nor where needed, as DragonFire and his thugs were behind bars in prison. Jacob was sent to an entirely different prison, to avoid any confrontations.

The four heroes attended school together by day, and patrolled the city at night. Sometimes, one would take the night off, too much homework as a common excuse. But nonetheless, Paris always had at least a couple of heroes watching over them at any given night.

 

 

 

Marinette groaned, as her boyfriend and father chuckled at one of Tom’s puns about bread, as they all ate dinner together.

“At- _yeast_ you’re not married to him, honey,” Sabine patted her daughters back, as the two men renewed their laugh at the mom’s pun.

“Mooom!” Marinette whined.

Tom calmed down a bit from his laughter, “At least not yet.” He looked over to Adrien, who immediately stopped laughing. Tom winked at the boy, before resuming his dinner.

Adrien and Marinette looked to each other, as they both started to blush. Sabine giggled a bit, watching the two, which made them blush even deeper.

“Ok that’s it!” Marinette slammed her hands on the table, getting off her chair and grabbing Adrien. “We’re going for patrol!”

“But...I’m hungry,” Adrien complained, looking at his unfinished meal, as he was dragged away.

“We’ll eat when we come back.”

“Be back before 10!” Sabine told them.

“Be safe! And use protection!” Tom added.

“Don’t worry sir, our suits keep us safe,” Adrien assured Tom.

“That’s not what I meant,” Tom slyly grinned, as Marinette froze in her tracks.

“What did he mean?” Adrien whispered to Marinette.

“Nothing! Ok mom dad, we’re going now, bye!” she blurted out, dragging Adrien up her stairs and closing her trap door shut.

 

 

 

 

“They grow up so fast, don’t they?” Chat joked. He and Ladybug were perched atop a roof, watching Jade and Vixen take out a couple of muggers that had attempted to rob a young lady. Vixen created illusions to distract her target, as she knocked him out from behind with one punch. Jade on the other hand, used his shield to block his target’s punches, waiting for Vixen to knock him out from behind as well. They waited as the lady called for the police.

“They’re not our kids, kitty,” Ladybug responded.

“True. We should get some,” Chat grinned. “Imagine little kittens and bugs running around. But we have to get married first, of course.” Ladybug looked at him with a frown. “What? Your dad seemed to approve.” Ladybug punched him in the shoulder, causing him to lose balance and almost fall off the rooftop. “Meowch, My Lady.” Chat rubbed his shoulder, feigning pain. “I only have nine lives.”

“Unfortunately,” Ladybug giggled, at Chat’s pouting.

“What are you guys laughing at?” Jade asked, as he and Vixen landed beside them. The two men were arrested by the cops, who waved up at the heroes in thanks.

“Nothing. Good job you two,” Ladybug congratulated them. “Come on, we still have half the city to patrol.” Ladybug swung away, as Chat and the others followed her.

 

 

“It’s your turn,” Adrien gave Ladybug his ring. They were on the Eiffel tower, about to head home as their patrol had ended. They would often wear two miraculous after their patrol, carrying the other home, as they flew through the sky.

“This will never stop being amazing!” Ladybug awed, as she jumped off the tower, flying through the sky. The exhilarating feeling of being in control of flight was so much more than swinging around with a yo-yo or vaulting with a baton.

“Just don’t drop me,” Adrien yelped, holding on tight to Ladybug, as she flew in circles. Ladybug eventually calmed down, as she flew gently through the sky.

“This is so beautiful,” Ladybug smiled at the Paris lights.

“It is,” Adrien agreed. They both never tired of the sight of their city at night. They remained in comfortable silence, until they landed on their balcony.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted,” Marinette whined, heading down to the kitchen after de-transforming in her room. Adrien followed, hoping to get something to drink before bed time.

“Um, where’s the milk, sir?” Adrien asked Tom, who was washing the dishes. Tom looked behind him to see Adrien look through the fridge.

“I think we’re out, son,” Tom replied. “And what did I tell you about calling me sir, call me Tom.”

Adrien cringed, “Right sorry sir, I mean Tom.”

“Call me sir one more time, and I’m going to make you call me dad,” Tom retorted.

Adrien froze, as Marinette walked over to with two croissants. “Stop playing with him dad.” Tom just chuckled, while Marinette led Adrien back up to their bedroom.

“Don’t stay up too late kids, it’s a school night!” Tom yelled after them, as the trapdoor closed.

“Don’t worry about him, he just likes to tease you,” Marinette placed the croissants down, kissing Adrien before taking one for herself.

“I know,” Adrien smiled, eating his own croissant.

“But he is right you know,” Marinette cooed. “My dad is your dad, and my mom is your mom. You’re part of the family now, kitty.”

Adrien gaped at Marinette, as happy tears formed in his eyes. Marinette placed her hands on his cheeks to wipe away his tears. “You will always have a family here,” she assured him, before taking his lips into her own. They gently kissed, falling onto her bed. They shared sweet, gentle kisses for a few more minutes, before exhaustion overtook them both.

“Sleep with me tonight,” she urged him, as she closed her heavy eyes.

“I might as well sell my apartment,” Adrien chuckled. He had moved into a fairly modest apartment, having sold his mansion as an attempt to move on.

 Marinette was the first one to sleep, as she laid cuddled against Adrien, her face in his chest, and her legs wrapped around his. Adrien brushed her hair, watching her sleep. He had never felt this happy before. He didn’t even think it was possible. He would always mourn the loss of his parents. But he had found a new family now. One that loved him, and treated him like their own son. He had friends who loved and supported him They would always be by his side, he would never be lonely or unloved ever again. Not as long as he had this amazing girl in his arms. His Marinette.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you all enjoyed this story ^_^


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